A Repeat of History
by PennyHill
Summary: An outside force working quietly amongst the rebuilding of the O.Z. has begun to rise with the intention of taking it back. An outworlder woman appears and holds the key for the eventual takeover. Can it be stopped in time? Rated M violence
1. Chapter 1, The Beginning

_I must admit, this story is not for everyone. If you are looking for a strong pairing like DG/Cain, DG/Glitch, Glitch/Cain, etc., that is clearly broadcasted, you will not find it here. There is also no fluffy romance, shining knights on white horses, and anything else that may be considered "Pink, Feminine, and Disney". Though you will probably find worse on the evening news, this story is for a mature audience since it does contain content on suicide, mercy killings, etc._

_Summary: An outside force working quietly amongst the rebuilding of the O.Z. has begun to rise with the intention of taking it back. An outworlder woman appears and holds the key for the eventual takeover. Can it be stopped in time?_

_Now, with all that being said, and you are still intrigued, you are more than welcome to join me down the path..._

Chapter 1: The Beginning  
-- A day in the life of Jill Wilkins; Jill involuntarily arrives in the O.Z.

Chapter 2: Ol' Blue Eyes  
-- Jill realizes that she must start out on her own in the strange new world and comes upon the Cains' cabin.

Chapter 3: The Breakin  
-- While Cain is away, men break in to his cabin.

Chapter 4: What Next?  
-- The Father learns where his Daughter is; Cain and Jill decide to go to Central City.

Chapter 5: Back to Central City  
-- Cain and Jill arrive in Central City.

Chapter 6: The Prowler  
-- Who's at the door at the Cain residence?

Chapter 7: Prelude to Redemption  
-- The Father discusses Rebecca's redemption; Cain and Jill must visit the Precinct.

Chapter 8: Rebecca's Redemption  
-- Central City experiences Rebecca's redemption.

Chapter 9: The Aftermath  
-- The aftermath of Rebecca's redemption.

Chapter 10: The Reunion  
-- All are safe.

Chapter 11: The Balcony  
-- A nod to "classic" Cain and DG.

Chapter 12: Cookies Anyone?  
-- Cain and Sergeant Costello seek answers in Detective Spencer's apartment.

Chapter 13: Girl Talk  
-- The Queen, DG, and Azkadellia have a chat.

Chapter 14: Target Practice  
-- Jill insists that Glitch take her to the Armory.

Chapter 15: Dinner For Eight  
-- The Queen invites family and friends for dinner.

Chapter 16: Wrong Place, Wrong Time  
-- Raw and Calm are abducted.

Chapter 17: Answers, Part 1  
-- Cain and the Queen have a not so pleasant chat.

Chapter 18: Answers, Part 2  
-- Will DG say yes?

Chapter 19: Answers, Part 3  
-- Cain questions Jill

Chapter 20: Signs and Visions  
-- Cain, Jeb and Jill visit the Wolfsangel Tavern. Azkadellia has a vision.

Chapter 21: Blackmail  
-- Demilo tries to blackmail Cain. He pays for it, dearly.

Chapter 22: Insanity  
-- Azkadellia should be dead. DG has a gut feeling about Dr. Addison and it may not be good.

Chapter 23: Storm Clouds  
-- Cain and Jill head towards the palace to meet with General Turnbaugh, Lundgren and Zero arrive in Calvert.

Chapter 24: How Could You?  
-- What to do about Azkadellia...

Chapter 25: I Can't Love You Like That  
-- DG, Cain, and Glitch have a chat in DG's private garden.

Chapter 26: Sins Of Our Mothers  
-- DG and Glitch set out to find out what happened to Cain and Jill.

Chapter 27: Business  
-- Zero and Lundgren get lucky, DG and Glitch hit a roadblock

Chapter 28: Switch  
-- Az is moved, Cain wakes up

Chapter 29: Evil Hamsters  
-- Cain gets a visitor, Samantha gets a new pet

Chapter 30: Stay Strong Kiddo  
-- Jeb helps DG and Glitch with their visit to Dr. Addison's office, Jill sees the aftermath of a fight

Chapter 31: Does The Devil Have A Soul (or Vengeance Part 1)  
-- Zero and Ko arrive at the Poulton's and unfortunately Jeb shows up

Chapter 32: The Devil Denies His Soul (or Vengeance Part 2)  
-- Zero and Ko have one more stop and one more killing to make

Chapter 33: No Knights In Shining Armor  
-- Jill's heart leapt for joy at the thought of being released from jail; but then her joy turned to sorrow

Chapter 34: Rasputin  
-- The Queen replied without taking her eyes off of DG. "Not well. Her response was the same as what Dr. Addison had predicted."

* * *

Chapter 1, The Beginning

Unfortunately the day started off worse than usual. Jill had just barely unlocked her desk drawer and already the phone started ringing. But in the end, wasn't it like that any other day? When it came down to it, the only difference between today and yesterday was that everyone around her talked about the weather. It was as though they were all competing to see who had the most dire of dire forecasts. Did someone hear six inches? How about eight? Nine? Ten?

She was tired of all the hype. Even one of the local news station's morning meteorologists made up a "Hype-O-Meter" before the big snowstorm. She had an inclination to make up one of her own and print it out on the color plotter. There, in its full blazing Technicolor glory, the needle would move from the low end of the scale of _"Oooooh…snowflakes"_ to the high end of _"Oh My God! Get to the store and buy cat food and milk!"_

But she thought better of it. It would be her luck that her manager, or better yet, the VP would walk by her cubicle and see it. At that moment her phone rang again. The caller ID showed that it was from one of the planners. _Now what?_

By quarter after four she had had enough. She swore that all she got done was answer the phone and add to her list of problems. If nothing else the labor entries for the week were done so her guys could get paid. Everything else would have to wait till Monday. With a pang of guilt she thought to herself that she really should go into work tomorrow. She would have if it hadn't been snowing out today. Tomorrow morning would be spent digging herself out and by then she wouldn't feel like doing much else. She slammed her desk drawer shut and locked it.

When she reached the bottom of the back staircase, she took a peek out the window. Yep, she thought to herself. The guys were right. It was going to be a bitch to get home.

The normal 25 minutes commute took 1-1/2 hours. No surprise there. You would think that if one lived in Pennsylvania you would expect it to storm on occasion. Obviously she was wrong given the number of stranded vehicles in the wide medians between the highway lanes.

Due to the storm, night came even earlier. When she finally got home a tree greeted her across the driveway. She was going to swear but held her tongue. She grabbed her purse, locked the truck, and started the long walk up the hill.

It was well after six o'clock by the time she got to the garage door. She'd walked the driveway hundreds of times but doing it in six plus inches of snow left her breathing heavy. The tree was going to have to wait till morning.

When she got upstairs there was a blinking light on the answering machine. She pressed the button and a familiar voice came on.

"Hey Jillian, this is Gary."

Why did he always call her Jillian? Her given name was Jill. It was plain and simple, but it was still her given name.

"I know you said that you had a few things to take care of in the morning but I wanted to know if we could still get together in the afternoon." His voiced trailed off but she didn't need to hear the rest of it. Reluctantly she picked up her cell phone and dialed his number.

* * *

Morning came way too early. Unfortunately all she did was toss and turn all night. With a heavy sigh she finally gave up and got of bed. What sucked was that she was up even earlier than during the normal work-week. The smell of the coffee she brewed did little to brighten her mood.

After eating some cereal she decided to go and start digging herself out. The first streaks of dawn were just coming up when she got done with most of the driveway. She went into the house, poured some more coffee, and watched the sunrise. As she looked out the window the valley looked so peaceful. The snow and ice was still on the trees and it made it look like a setting from Disneyland. _Too bad it wasn't this quiet every day. _She drained the last of her coffee and went back outside. It took her a good hour to cut up the tree and move it just enough out the way. She knew that if Mom came to the house she'd yell at her for moving the tree by herself. _Oh well_.

She brought her truck up and parked it in its spot in the garage. By the time that she got cleaned up and changed her clothes it was only mid-morning.

"_Geez Jill" _she sarcastically thought to herself, _"It's amazing what you get done when you get up at four in the morning."_

She plopped herself down on the couch. As she was flipping through the TV channels she thought that she better make the trip out to Elimsport. She didn't have any excuses remaining. Even so, she still had to force herself to get her coat and boots on.

The roads were in surprisingly good shape though the sun quickly disappeared behind the clouds. She road in silence since there wasn't much traffic. As she got closer to Elimsport it looked like it was going to storm again. "Chalk another one up to the weather guys." Jill mumbled to herself. It was supposed to be a picture perfect sunny day.

The driveway into the cemetery was not plowed but after putting her truck in four-wheel drive, she didn't have any problems. She pulled near to Craig's grave and parked the truck. It was a short walk to the headstone. The sky was dark gray by now and the wind started to pick up slightly. She knelt down and with a gloved hand slowly cleared the snow from the stone and the artificial flowers that were already there. They were poinsettias so Pete and Sharon must have laid them there. They were bright red and extra stuff like Baby's Breath was mixed in. She vaguely remembered Sharon saying something about laying Christmas flowers there. The only flowers Jill ever laid were white roses; it didn't matter which holiday it was. That was what she laid again. She didn't know how long she knelt there. But as she stood up, the wind hit her like a brick wall. It came so fast that it took her by surprise and she almost fell over backwards.

"What the hell?" she said to no one in particular. She looked up at the sky and it was dark and rolling. It was the type of rolling that one always saw right before a really bad thunderstorm. It wasn't the type of sky one saw in the middle of January. By this time the wind was howling and the snow was swirling. Jill didn't exactly know what was going on but she decided that she wasn't going to stick around to find out.

She did not have any trouble getting out of the cemetery. But once she got on the main road, the wind pushed the truck around. Between the darkness and the blowing snow she could barely see ahead of her. The wind roared so loud it sounded like a freight train. She pulled over to what she thought was the side of the road. As she looked out the passenger side window she froze. A tornado was nearly on top of her. In her panic she threw the truck into gear and stomped on the gas. But the rear wheels just spun. She didn't flip the switch to pop the truck back into four-wheel drive. The roar of the wind drowned out her scream and all went to black.

* * *

"Ugh."

Jill slowly opened her eyes and found herself oriented on her left side. Everything that was in the truck was on top of her. She brought her right hand up to her face and felt the cakes of dried blood around her forehead. She wasn't sure how bad her cuts were but what she did know was that when the airbag went off it screwed her glasses into her face. She took them off and looked at them. "_Well, they're done for_." If there was anything fortunate, no damn lucky would be the better phrase, it was that nothing else appeared to be broken on her face. She was lucky too that she left her workbag in the truck. Her spare glasses were in there. The trick now was finding it.

She twisted her right arm around and managed to unbuckle her seat belt.

"Ow."

Her left knee complained as she wiggled. In fact her whole left side started to complain. So far it was only enough to be annoying.

She found her workbag down at her feet and got out her other glasses. She stood halfway up and tried to roll down the passenger window. Even though she hadn't a clue as to how many times the truck might have rolled, at least the mechanisms that allowed the window to crank up and down still worked. She grabbed her workbag that she never bothered to put away from the night before and threw it out the window. It sounded with a soft thud. The purse quickly followed. She reached for the window but then realized she almost forgot to pull on her wool hat. After one final look, there wasn't anything else of use so she grabbed the edges of the window and placed her feet on the seat and steering wheel. As she struggled to pull herself out one of her feet slipped and struck the horn. She jumped in surprise and almost lost her grip. She paused for a moment but heard nothing.

She finally got herself out and sat on what was the edge of her toolbox. As her eyes got used to the sunlight she saw that it was still winter and there was snow on the ground. She looked at the blue sky and this time dropped the F-bomb. There were two suns half-risen in the sky.

Jill looked at her surroundings frantically. She was in a wooded area with mountains in the distance but nothing was familiar. Her breath came fast and froze in the chilly air.

"Jill, take a deep breath and think about this," she said to the air. She took some more deep breaths and felt her body relax a little. By this point she didn't care if anyone heard or not.

"_So am I unconscious and I'm dreaming all this, or is it real?_" She gingerly made her way down off the truck. The snow, air, cold, and everything else seemed real enough. But as she looked up at the two suns again, it was just enough of a reminder that this wasn't right.

She forced the toolbox open a little and grabbed her blanket and some bungie cords. The bungie cords and her purse went into her workbag. She wrapped the heavy blanket around her. It was the blue one she had crocheted when she was much younger; not long after Gram taught her how. Little did she ever know how much comfort it would bring her later on. It helped to block the slight wind that had started. She looked down at her feet. At least she had enough sense to wear her winter boots when she started out.

Her left side and knee ached but it was still tolerable. She took one last walk around her truck. Even though it was dented and dinged from rolling over, the underside, especially the axles and driveshaft, appeared to be okay. If she ever made it back and got it rolled back over, she might be able to drive it.

With a sigh Jill looked down at her watch. It said three o'clock. Back home the sun would be low in the sky. Here, looking up, the twin suns appeared to be half-way and rising. She wasn't sure how much daylight she actually had left though. The truck landed on what appeared to be an open area where a wide trail, enough to pass for a road, cut through. With a forlorn look she looked at her truck and then turned and followed the road

* * *

With hurried footsteps, Lieutenant Lundgren went down the hallway. While he knew that the Father would be pleased to know that his Daughter had landed in to the O.Z.; he would not be happy with the news following that announcement. He reached the door to the study. He paused, took off his gloves, breathed deeply, and knocked.

A familiar deep voice beckoned him in, "Enter."

It took a moment for Lundgren's eyes to adjust to the dim light. This was the first time that he had ever been in the Father's private office. The Father was standing in front of the fireplace with his back to him. He was holding a glass in one hand and the other rested on the edge of a high-back chair. The deep voice beckoned again, "You have news?"

Lundgren cleared his throat. "Father, we have verification that your Daughter was successfully transferred in to the O.Z." He paused.

"And?" the deep voice beckoned again.

"However we cannot exactly determine her landing point. The alchemists are confident that she is within a 25 mile radius but the center of the new landing zone is about 250 miles or so off-course."

"Or so….. you say" replied the Father. He stared silently into the fireplace and swirled the liquid that was in his glass. The only sound in the room was the crackling of the fire.

Lundgren sensed the Father's displeasure. He quickly added, "I have already ordered our search teams dispatched to the new landing zone. But it will take them some time. However, there are some small regiments near the new coordinates. I have already sent messages to them. Certainly she cannot go far on her own."

The Father slowly turned and looked at the Lieutenant. He could sense that he was shaking. "Is the new landing zone off-course to the north or to the east?"

"It was to the north, sir. Unfortunately much closer to the Central City zone than anticipated." Lundgren twisted his gloves in between his hands.

The Father sat down in one of the chairs but continued to stare into the fire. Lundgren shifted his weight from one leg to the other. The Father's silence was unnerving. It was in this silence that he finally saw the rest of the contents of the office. He looked at the mounted heads of the trophy animals on the walls. Their mouths sneered and it appeared that all eyes were on him. He blinked hard and looked away from them.

Lundgren was unsure whether or not he should continue with this update. "The alchemists stated that a power surge occurred during the post-generation of the travel storm. They couldn't compensate for it and that is what caused the landing zone to go off-course. They further said that if they could have waited until spring, the amount of energy needed would have been much less."

"Yes, the alchemists informed me of what the outcome could be." interrupted the Father. "It was a risk that had to be taken. I told them that we could not wait another four months."

"But of course sir." Lundgren quickly added. He could feel the beads of sweat drip slowly down the side of his face.

The Father sighed but then regained his voice. "As always I have made contingency plans in the event the alchemists failed me. Leave me now. I need to compose correspondence to our Brothers and Sisters. Report to me when the search teams are near the landing zone" He paused. "Oh, and let me know when your small regiments report in as well."

"Yes sir." Lundgren saluted and quickly went out the door. He wasn't sure if the Father was being sarcastic with the last remark or not. However, the final tone of the Father's voice left no doubt that he wanted to be alone.

The Father heard his footsteps go down the hallway until he could hear them no more. _Soon my precious Daughter, soon. _He got out of his chair, walked over to his desk, and sat down. He reached into his pocket for his pen, grabbed a few pieces of parchment, and began to write.


	2. Chapter 2, Ol' Blue Eyes

Jill had been trudging along for hours in near silence. There was no scenery other than trees, snow, and blue sky. Sometimes she heard something small moving in the woods. She wondered what animals lived here and what they looked like. With a smirk she thought that it would be her luck that she would encounter a man-eating chipmunk.

She eventually came to a fork in the road. Actually it wasn't much of a fork. More like the main road went to the left and another smaller trail went to the right. Squinting, she thought she saw a sign on a tree near the fork. She made her way up to it and found it to be written in English. _"Huh, imagine that."_

The sign read,

No Hunting, Fishing, or Trespassing.

Trespassers will be charged to the fullest extent of the law.

Owners

It was signed at the bottom in very neat handwriting "Wyatt Cain" with "Jeb Cain" underneath it.

_Well Jill, what are you going to do? _Daylight was fading fast, her knee was throbbing with pain, and she was exhausted. Worse than her knee was that she was having trouble feeling her feet or her fingers. _I don't have much choice do I? _She grabbed a handful of snow to eat, wiped the extra off of her glove, and started to go down the trail to the right. If this Wyatt and Jeb Cain were home, she hoped that it wouldn't turn into a scene from Deliverance. If they weren't, then hopefully they'd forgive her later for breaking and entering.

Daylight finally fell and a full moon rose. With a bit of relief Jill saw only one moon rise not two. She stopped and breathed deeply in to the night air. By this time she could only hobble along and it was taking its toll. In the worst way she wanted to lay down, cover up, and go to sleep. She worked her glove off and took another deep breath.

_SLAP!_

Her eyes teared up but at least momentarily her head cleared. Her cheek stung badly. If she didn't find shelter soon she was going to be in a lot of trouble. She continued to have nagging thoughts that she made the wrong decision and should have followed the main road.

After walking for another half-hour or so she came around a bend and saw the faint lights from a cabin. With a renewed sense of both hope and fear she headed towards the lights.

* * *

Jill reached the cabin and stumbled up the porch steps. She heard no movement from within. Well, at least she didn't think that she did.

She took a deep breath and knocked on the door. She still had no clue what she was going to say if anyone came to the door.

Curtains covered the windows and she thought that she saw a flicker of movement followed by the faint screech of a chair. Then there was silence. She was starting to wonder if her mind was playing tricks on her. She went to knock again and it was at that moment the door opened.

Her breath stopped for a moment. She was looking up into the bluest eyes she ever saw. They reflected the moonlight and just blazed in the night. Then it dawned on her that Ol' Blue Eyes was also holding the twin barrels of a gun straight at her head.

She swallowed hard and went to speak but no sound came out. She was sure that the gun was loaded.

It was at that inopportune moment that her glasses fogged over. The warm air from the cabin caused it. She let her blue blanket and workbag fall to the ground. She then took both hands and carefully took her glasses off. It was then that her brain finally got into gear and she blurted out, "I'm sorry for disturbing you." Blue Eyes continued to stare at her. She regained her voice and most of her confidence. "I'm lost and I'm in need of shelter. I don't have any money but I'm sure I have something to barter with." She briefly paused and then added, "If you have a barn or a shed I'll sleep there. And I promise I'll leave first thing in the morning."

Cain continued to stare at the woman standing just outside his doorway. Her outdoor gear was definitely something from the outside world; like what DG would wear. She stood there and continued to look him in the eye. He couldn't tell if she wasn't moving out of fear or courage. He had spent nearly a year in the outer territories chasing down the rest of the witch's Longcoats. Having people show up on your doorstep in the middle of the night usually meant trouble. But then he thought back to when he first met DG and how he helped her.

Cain slowly dropped the barrel of the gun. "Here, let me help you in."

"Thank you, " but as Jill took a step, she stumbled in the doorway. Her free hand caught the door sill but it was Cain's arm that quickly reached around her waist and caught her. It surprised her how fast he was but she didn't fight it either. He helped her over to a chair in front of the fireplace. He then went back to the doorway to get her blanket and workbag. He carefully set the gun down near the door.

In the meantime, Jill pushed her hood down, took off her wool cap and put her glasses back on. It only took another moment for her eyes to adjust to the dim light in the cabin. From what she could tell it wasn't a large cabin and it was set up like a great room. The kitchen area with a table was at one end, to the right of the door where she came in. She was at the other end, sitting in the chair with a couch behind her. Two doors slightly cracked open were along the other wall. She took off her gloves and looked down at her hands.

Cain put her blanket and workbag on the table. He stood there for a moment, watching her look down at her hands. With a scowl, he pulled up one of the kitchen chairs, brought it over in front of her and sat down.

He shifted forward and took her hands in his. She didn't flinch when he took them. He saw that her hands were red and they felt ice cold. He carefully turned them from one side to another. "Can you feel me touching them?" Cain looked up at her with concern. She looked back at him. "For the most part. They've got that annoying tingly feeling." She held them up and forced them to move in front of him. "See, they're wiggling too."

Cain only nodded. "What about your feet?"

Jill untied her boots and Cain helped to get them off. He took off her wool socks and gently touched her feet. Her toes were red too and as ice cold as her hands. Before he could say anything Jill told him, "I can feel you touching them. And look I can wiggle them."

Cain looked up at her again, "Anything else?"

It was then he took notice of her features. She was definitely older than DG by at least ten, probably closer to fifteen years. And she had dark brown eyes. He didn't think that they missed too much. Her hair was dark brown and was very short. Even though it was really messed up he could still tell that it was meant to be short. His eyes drifted from her hair to her forehead. He saw the dried blood.

"Those cuts on your forehead need to be cleaned up." Cain got up and walked over to kitchen counter. He picked up the kettle and took it over to the sink. He pumped some water in to it and placed it back on the cookstove. "It won't take long for the water to heat." He then went into one of the rooms and brought out some white cloth. Meanwhile Jill took her jacket off and dropped it on the floor but all the while continued to watch what Cain was doing..

As he sat back down in the chair, Jill spoke up softly. "I haven't been minding my manners too well. My name's Jill. Jill Wilkins." She extended her right hand. Cain took it and was taken off guard by her grip. Her hand was still ice-cold but it was a firm grip. Most women, if and when they shook your hand, gripped it like a wet noodle. "Wyatt Cain, " he replied. As he did so, a faint smile crossed her lips. He quickly changed the subject.

"So, how did you get lost?"

Jill sighed. She knew sooner or later she was going to have to tell her story. She started to speak, but was interrupted by the whistle of the kettle. Cain got up and went over to the cookstove. He took the kettle off the stove and opened up one of the cupboards. For the first time since she'd been there she didn't pay any attention to what Cain was doing. She allowed herself to be absorbed in her own thoughts and stared at the fire.

"Here."

Jill snapped to attention. Cain held out a mug with a piece of bread on top of it. "It's some tea with a little bit of sugar in it. It'll help to warm you up."

Cain sat down and proceeded to clean up her forehead. Like before his touch was gentle and it didn't take long. "It looks worse than what it really is."

"That's good. Oh, and thanks for tea and bread."

Cain nodded and put away the water and cloths. He came back and settled back into his chair.

Jill recounted her tale. She left out the part where she visited Craig's grave though. Sometimes Cain shifted in his chair, but he never took his eyes off of her. She tried to read his face as she spoke but couldn't.

It seemed like it took an eternity but she was finally done. She did her best to stifle a yawn. She had no idea what time it truly was but the adrenaline rush was over. Cain was silent for a moment. He looked into Jill's eyes and saw that they were looking for answers. _I'm sorry kid but I don't know what's going on with you yet. _

"It sounds like someone wanted you here. Or it was an accident."

"What do you mean by that?" Jill asked. _Someone here? Wanting me? What the hell for? And how would a tornado be an accident?_

"That tornado you described was a travel storm. They're created as a way to cross over from our world to yours. Most times they're created, but sometimes they happen by accident."

"I've heard thunder and seen lightning during snowstorms but not even Mother Nature can create tornados in the middle of January in Pennsylvania." Jill replied rather matter-of-factly.

Cain sighed and looked at her. He didn't know where Pennsylvania was but guessed that it was her home. "I'll agree that it probably wasn't an accident. But I don't know who would want you here in the O.Z. Unless it was meant for someone else and you got caught up in the ride."

He could tell that she wasn't satisfied with his answers and the gears were turning in her head.

"Look.", he almost called her _kid_ but stopped himself. _She's not a kid like DG._

"The day after tomorrow I'll take you into Central City. I know some people that may be able to help you. I'm due back there in a few days anyway."

Jill looked from him and back to the fire. _You don't have much choice again do you?_

Just then the clock started to strike. "It's getting late. You can sleep in the spare bedroom instead of the barn."

She looked back up at him and realized that was probably about as close as to a joke she was going to get, "Alright, it's a deal." She went to get up from her chair and stumbled again.

Cain quickly stood up, "What's wrong?"

"Oh, it's my stupid knee. I must've bruised it when the truck rolled over." She saw that look of concern on his face again, "I think that I just need to stay off of it."

Cain put his arm around her waist and helped her to one of the doors.

Jill sat down on the bed. Cain brought in her socks and blue blanket. "The bed is clean. When my son comes along this is where he sleeps. He hasn't been here for awhile so it should be okay." He started to go out the door, and Jill called out after him. "Is your son's name Jeb?"

He paused in the doorway. "How do you know that my son's name is Jeb?"

"Just a guess. I saw the no trespassing sign and it had two names on it. Yours, and another, Jeb. When you said about your son sleeping here I thought that it might have been him."

Cain grunted. "That's him." and he turned to grab the door knob.

"Thank you again Cain." Jill's gut told her that he didn't go by Wyatt.

He paused in the doorway. "Good night Jill," and he softly pulled the door shut.

He went in to his bedroom and pulled out a glass and a flask of whiskey. He went back out and sat down in the chair next to the fire and poured some of the whiskey into the glass. He stared for a long time into the fire. His gut told him that trouble was brewing again.


	3. Chapter 3, The BreakIn

Jill didn't know how long she slept. As soon as her head hit the pillow from the night before she was out.

She grabbed her glasses from the nightstand. With a sigh she realized that it hadn't been a dream after all. She was still in the cabin, so she was still in the O.Z., and still had no idea of why someone would want her here.

She threw the covers off and gingerly sat up. _Yep, still sore_.

She stood up using mostly her right leg and then put a little more weight on her left. Her knee complained but at least it felt like she could walk on it. She limped over to the dresser and looked into the mirror. She ran her fingers through her hair and almost got it to looking decent. _Oh well_._ I've looked worse for wear_.

She then got dressed. She was glad that she had put on a pair of long underwear so that she at least had something besides her sweater and jeans to wear to bed. Trying to wash any of her garments seemed to be out of the question for the time being. She was just going to have to try to suck it up for a few more days.

She opened the bedroom door and looked around. Her jacket had been draped over one of the kitchen chairs. There was a plate, mug, silverware, a sheet of paper and a pen on the kitchen table. She limped over.

"Son of a bitch. He went through my workbag." She had immediately recognized one of the company supplied black pens she always managed to "_accidentally"_ bring home from work.

She picked up the sheet of paper and started to read. It was from Cain. _Obviously, who else would it be from?_

It told her that he went out early in the morning to check and gather his remaining traps, breakfast was ready and just had to be warmed on the stove and last but not least would be back late morning or early afternoon. She then came to the end.

P.S. I'm sorry about going through your workbag. I had no paper and didn't want to wake you up. _Forgiven. I would've done the same thing._

P.S.S. The outhouse is behind the cabin.

_Oh, you've got to be kidding_. _If you took the time to write me where the outhouse is located, how 'bout where to find the toilet paper?_

She put on her boots, and then her jacket. She almost opened the door and then turned and went back to her workbag. She grabbed a few extra pieces of paper. _Just in case_.

She then went outside to find the outhouse.

* * *

Cain was up early. If they were going to go back to Central City tomorrow then he had to gather the rest of his traps. He only had a couple set but they were spread out throughout the property. He also wanted to find Jill's truck. Not that he doubted her story, but to see it for himself. Maybe there would be a clue as to why she was brought here; either on purpose or by accident.

As he rode towards the east end of the property he hoped that Jill wouldn't be too upset about him going through her bag to find some paper. He just couldn't bring himself to wake her up. He didn't want to leave her alone but after all she had been through so far; it was too much to ask her to come along. She needed the rest. He could not imagine all of the emotions that she must be feeling; one moment being in her home world and the next moment waking up here. It was something that DG would be able to relate to though.

He hadn't thought about DG since he had been back. The hearings took up all of his time and left little time for mending relationships. It took nearly two months to get through them all. When they were done he asked for two weeks off. Jeb didn't think much of him taking off by himself. He couldn't blame him though. He hadn't seen him for nearly a year. He tried to explain that he needed two weeks just to be alone and to regroup. He didn't know if Jeb understood or not. He never came home the night before he was ready to leave.

And now this.

He reached the first trap. He dismounted Jack and wrapped his reins around a tree branch. The first rays of dawn from the first sun were just appearing.

* * *

Jill finished breakfast. Cain left out some bread, coffee, dried fruit, and some sort of spread that resembled peanut butter. Hopefully he had more because she ate all of it. She didn't realize how hungry she was until she took the first bite. She rummaged through the cupboards near the sink and thought that she found something that looked like dish detergent. She washed the dishes and placed them on a towel on the counter to dry.

_Now what?_

It was late morning and she didn't know what to get in to. She placed another log onto the fire and stoked it a little. That took all of five minutes. Then she reached into her workbag, grabbed the newspaper, and limped over to the couch. She had picked it up from the day before but hadn't read it. She wasn't even sure if she should bother.

Jill had only gotten through the front page when she thought she heard a rumbling in the distance. She put the paper down and listened. Sure enough it was faint but it sounded like the rumbling from a heavy truck. She listened some more. It was definitely coming closer.

She got up and limping as fast as she could grabbed her jacket and workbag and went in to the spare bedroom. She threw them under the bed. The blue blanket went under there as well and she quickly straightened the covers. Under a passing glance it looked like it was never slept in.

She went back out and saw the pen and paper on the kitchen table. She took them and stuffed them in to her pants pocket. She went to the door and made sure that it was locked. Too bad there was only one lock. The rumbling grew louder and she thought that she heard voices. The gun, which in the daylight looked like a double-barreled shotgun was still by the door. She took it and glanced around for more shells. There weren't any, at least not in the open. She hoped that it wouldn't get to that point. From the short time that she had been here, she never got the impression that Cain received a lot of visitors back here. Considering all that had happened to her so far, she didn't have a good feeling about this.

She pulled the curtain back just a hair. She saw a flatbed truck. It looked like there were cylinders, toolboxes, and something covered with a tarp strapped down on the bed. The truck was dark gray and looked like it was from the 30's or 40's. She saw some men on horseback but didn't hang around to count them. She limped back to the spare room and closed and hid behind the door. All she could to do was stay quiet and hope for the best. Fortunately there weren't any windows so she didn't have to worry about anyone peering in. She pulled the shotgun up for a closer look. She found the safety, switched it off, and waited.

The flatbed truck parked near the cabin. It was flanked by five men on horseback. All five dismounted and pulled blasters from their saddle pouches. The leader motioned for two of them to the barn. He motioned for another to go around back and the other two to come with him.

They reached the porch and slowly climbed the steps. The leader stood in front of the doorway. One of his men looked through the window while the other stood nearby.

He knocked on the door. There was no answer. Then he pounded on the door. After a minute, he motioned to his men. The one to his right was much, much bigger than he. The leader and the other man took up defensive positions behind the big guy.

With a heavy grunt, he reared back and delivered a kick to the door. The door weakened but held its ground. He grunted again and delivered another kick. This time the door gave in. All three busted through.

Jill heard all of the grunting and the explosion of the door being kicked in. She pressed her back closer to the wall. Her breathing was shallow and her palms were sweaty. She gripped the gun and held it close to her chest.

It didn't take long for the men to do a quick sweep of the room. Jill could hear the cupboard doors being thrown open. Then she heard footsteps right outside the bedroom door. It took an eternity for the door knob to click and turn. The door squeaked open. She could hear the heavy breathing; only the door separated her from the man who had just broken in. She smelled stale cigarettes, sweat, and wood smoke.

She didn't dare breathe. It was so quiet that she was sure the man could hear her heart beating.

The man turned and walked away. She heard one of them, "Charlie, it doesn't appear that she's here." Then another one, "There's no one in that bedroom."

"Let's get out of here."

Jill heard the footsteps fade away. She heard more voices from outside but couldn't make out what they were saying.

Someone ground the gears in the truck and then she heard it take off.

She stood silent for a long time. She strained to hear anything, anything at all, but there was only silence.

She clicked the safety back on and let herself slump to the floor. She laid the gun down on the floor beside her, brought her knees up to her chest and began to cry.

* * *

It took longer than he expected to gather the traps and so it was already late morning by the time he left the boundaries of his property, got to the road, and eventually found Jill's truck.

He dismounted Jack and slowly walked up to it. Jill told him that it was on its side but someone flipped it over. Not only were there too many human and horse footprints to count; there were large truck tracks as well.

The hood was up and he looked in. The engine was gone. Whoever was here stripped it. He opened one of the doors and found that there wasn't much left on the inside either.

He walked around the truck, looking at the ground and trying to pick up some other clue but there was none to be had. There was no indication as to who might have been here.

He quickly walked over to Jack and pulled himself up. He nudged him and Jack opened up to a brisk trot.

Jack was a strong horse but being loaded down with trapping gear Cain didn't want to nudge him to go any faster. He tried to ignore the truck and horse tracks that were in front of him but couldn't. This road was popular in the summer since it was one of the scenic routes from Central City to lake country. There was barely any traffic during the winter though. Seeing those tracks made him uneasy and impatient.

It took till early afternoon to get to the fork and the trail leading to his cabin.

He brought Jack to an abrupt stop. Jack whinnied in protest and looked back at him with annoyance.

The truck and horse tracks followed the trail to the cabin. He looked down the road to Central City. The tracks followed it. Whoever it was had been to the cabin and then continued on to Central City.

"Oh fuck."

_Sorry Jack, I hate to do this to you but I need you now._ He kicked Jack hard and they took off at a gallop down the trail.

* * *

Cain came within sight of the cabin. He stopped Jack and dismounted. The large horse whinnied again and shook his head. Cain took the reins and wrapped them around a bush and gave him a few pats. Jack was seating and breathing heavy. "It'll only be a few minutes and then we'll get you into the barn."

He drew his handgun and walked along the edge of the clearing. The tracks led right up to the porch. From what he could tell no one was around. As he walked closer to the cabin he saw the front door slightly cracked open.

He quickly walked behind the cabin, saw nothing except footprints and then went to the barn. He scanned the inside. Again there were only footprints. He then turned and went to the cabin. He cautiously went up the front steps and pushed the door open just a little more. He cocked his handgun, and then hesitated, listening for any sign of life.

"Jill!"

No answer.

"Jill! It's me Cain."

He heard movement and he went further inside the doorway.

There standing in the doorway to the spare bedroom was Jill. She held his shotgun, with the butt buried in her shoulder, ready to fire.

He held up his gun and cocked it. He looked in her eyes and saw that they were red and puffy. It took Jill another moment to register that it was actually Cain standing in front of her and that he was alone.

She dropped the barrel of the shotgun and limped over to him. Cain almost missed the slight motion of her finger clicking the safety back on but didn't say anything. It hadn't been the first time a loaded gun was pointed at him.

He allowed her to hug him and didn't break the silence.


	4. Chapter 4, What Next?

Cain put his hands on Jill's shoulders and said, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have left you alone." He paused and then added, "Are you gonna' be okay?"

Jill looked up at him. By now she seemed to have regained most of her composure. "Yeah. I will be…… Here, you better take your gun back."

Cain took it from her, double-checked to make sure that the safety was on, and put it back in its spot by the door. "Jill, I need to go out and take care of Jack." She raised her eyebrows. "My horse's name is Jack. I rode him hard to get back here and I need to get him back into the barn."

"Oh… Go on and take care of him. I don't think that I'll be going anywhere." She said it with that slight smile again but it didn't convince him.

"I'll try to fix the door when I'm done. Meantime keep a few extra logs on the fire and you can tell me what happened when I get back inside."

Cain turned and on the way out closed the door the best that he was able to. That nagging sense of duty called to him yet again. He didn't want to leave her alone but Jack was their only way of transportation besides walking.

Jill sighed to herself. His touch comforted her and it was hard to get that out of her head. She limped over to the stove and put on the kettle. She decided to make some tea and then lay down on the couch.

* * *

Jack was still standing there and was trying to munch on one of the tiny branches he was tied to. Cain patted him and began to walk him back to the barn.

He found himself thinking about Jill. He wondered what other surprises she was going to spring on him. Looking at her small frame and features you'd never expect the grit and determination she showed to get to the cabin. Then there was the shotgun. Where the hell did she learn to handle one? She had to know something about them since she knew enough to take the safety on and off. But then his thoughts turned to the men that were here. Who were they? He didn't think that they were random bandits but he didn't think they were professionals either like Longcoats.

By this time they were to the barn. They went in and he led Jack to his stable. After he finished unloading him and putting away the saddle, he gathered a few tools and went back into the cabin.

Jill was curled up on the couch. He wasn't sure if she was sleeping or not but then she sat up and looked at him.

He took off his coat and hat and placed them on the table. Then he started working on the door. Unfortunately he had to leave it open. The cold outside air seeped in and even with the fire going Jill wrapped her blue blanket around herself.

"So how many were there?"

"I'm not sure. It sounded like there were three in here and more posted outside." Jill paused. "I thought that I heard a truck in the distance. As it got closer I peeked out the window. They had a flatbed truck and the men were on horseback."

Cain stopped what he was doing. "Did you see what they were wearing?"

_He thought about the Longcoats but didn't bring it up._

Jill shrugged, "Just normal outside clothes". She paused and then added, "The flatbed had something on it but it was covered up."

"That was probably the engine from your truck," Cain replied dryly.

"What?!" Cain looked over and Jill's eyebrows were furrowed in disbelief and confusion.

"I found your truck. Someone, or more likely, some people stripped it. The engine was gone and the inside was gone through. There were truck and horse tracks around that I followed to here."

Jill sighed. "You didn't find anything else?"

"No, I didn't." Cain went back to what he was doing. He took a hold of the door knob and closed the door. It didn't go shut. With a shove it closed the second time around.

"That will have to do for now. I'll have to get another lock and new hinges when we're in Central City. When we leave tomorrow I'll have to board it shut."

By now Jill was back to staring in to the fire, absorbed in her thoughts again.

"How long have you guys had trucks?"

Cain stopped and looked at her. He still had his hand on the door. "Huh?"

"I'm just asking how long you guys have had trucks? There was an edge to her voice that he hadn't heard before.

"I don't know." He didn't want to go into the story of how he missed fifteen years of his life due to being locked up in an iron suit. Fortunate for him trucks have been around for awhile. "20, 30 annuals maybe. They had them when I was growing up. But they were more common in the cities though."

"Annuals?"

Then he remembered that people like DG and Jill used years instead of annuals. "It's pretty much the same as your year." He paused. "Where are you going with this?"

Jill shrugged. "I can't help it. I'm just trying to figure out why I'm here. So far the best I've come up with is that someone said abracadabra, waved a magic wand and poof! Here I am with my little red truck. But now someone stole my engine and broke in here looking for me."

"And?" Cain sensed that she wasn't finished yet.

"You told me last night that you didn't know if someone wanted me here on purpose or if it was an accident." Her voice rose just ever so slightly. "It didn't dawn on me that you might have meant that you guys travel to our world to steal things. It's always easier to steal it then figure how to do it on your own."

Cain's eyes hardened ever so slightly. "For fifteen annuals the O.Z. was ruled by the Queen's daughter, Azkadelia. But Azkadelia was possessed by an evil witch. The Witch had her alchemists develop the machines that could produce the travel storms at any time." He paused, not sure if Jill was buying this or not. So far she hadn't interrupted him. "Yeah, she used those travel storms to go to your world and steal what she could and reproduce it here. _He thought of the semi- automatics that the Longcoats carried_. Someone probably found and used one of the Witch's old machines to generate the travel storm that brought you here. I don't know how they got a fix on you but they did. The Queen outlawed travel storms over an annual ago so whoever used it isn't using it with anyone's blessing."

He walked over to Jill and knelt down in front of her. "I know that you're frustrated and looking for answers. But what I just told you is all that I have to go on. I promised to take you to Central City and I'm still going to do that. We'll find more answers there."

Cain could tell that her mind was racing, trying to absorb what he just said. She had been looking down at her hands folded in her lap. She looked back up at him, "How long does it take to get to Central City from here?" The slight edge that had been in her voice earlier was gone and replaced with resignation.

"If we leave before dawn tomorrow we'll be in Central City by mid-day."

Jill fiddled with the edges of her blanket, "I guess it'll be an early night then." Her eyes looked sad even though she was trying to give him that slight smile again. _It just gets better and better doesn't it? First tornados, oh excuse me "travel storms", then burglary, attempted kidnapping, and now wicked witches. _

Cain continued to look at her, "I should go put my tools away. When I come back in, I'll get supper around."

He got up, put on his hat and coat, and grabbed his tools. He took one last look at her before he went out the door. She was curled up on the couch again, staring into the fire.

* * *

As Cain promised, morning came early. He left the fires go out the night before so they ate a cold breakfast. When they were done he grabbed her stuff and went outside to get Jack. Meanwhile Jill washed and dried the dishes and then carefully put them away.

A short time later, Cain came in the door, "Are you ready?"

"Yep!" Jill tried to sound cheerful but she wasn't sure if she convinced him or not. After their little conversation from last night they ate supper mostly in silence. The silence then carried over to breakfast. It wasn't uncomfortable, but not exactly comfortable either.

She put on her wool hat and jacket and went outside. Cain noticed that she didn't limp as much and that was a good sign.

Jack was tied to one of the porch posts. Jill waited alongside him while Cain boarded the door shut. He went to the barn and put his tools away. On his way back over he shouted, "Have you ever ridden a horse before?"

Jill's eyes lit up. "Nope. So it'll probably prove interesting. I've already talked to Jack about it though."

"Oh you did, did you?" This time Cain raised his eyebrows and allowed himself to smile a little. "And what did Jack have to say?"

"He told me that as long as I sat still I shouldn't have any problems. He also said that I was much better looking and had a sweeter disposition than his handler." Cain looked at her and saw the devilment in her eyes.

"Well, I can't argue with him there." Cain continued to smile and then said, "I'll help you up first and then I'll get on."

* * *

Lieutenant Lundgren found the Father in the Great Room. He was holding a meeting with his advisors but he knew that they would soon be done. They were sitting around a large, ornately carved oval table. This was the room that Lundgren felt most at ease in. The windows lining the side wall were narrow but tall. The velvet curtains were pulled back to allow the first rays of sunlight to come in. The radiated heat was pleasant and began to ward off the chill from the night before.

With the scratching of chairs on the hardwood floor, the advisors got up. There were the usual mumblings and rustling of papers but it didn't take long for them to leave. They all passed him as they exited the door.

The Father went over to his desk and rifled through some papers. He motioned for Lundgren to come forward.

"What news do you have for me first thing this morning, Lieutenant?"

"It is about your Daughter sir." His news was still mixed but certainly the Father would not be too displeased. "One of our small regiments found her truck. They stripped its engine and some other components. It is currently being stored at their base in Calvert but will be transported back to here for the alchemists to examine."

The Father walked back over to the oval table. Oddly he made no sound across the floor. Lundgren saw that one end of the table contained many large maps. The Father flipped through a couple and then pulled one out of the stack. Lundgren walked up alongside him; his boots echoing. Lundgren realized that it was of the Central City zone.

"Where is Calvert?"

"Here sir," Lundgren pointed to the spot on the map. It was a small village, barely large enough to be a footnote.

The Father continued to look at the map. "Hmmm… You haven't mentioned my Daughter yet, Lieutenant."

"The regiment has not found her. They did search various residences located on the way from where her truck was located back to their base. Of course it is just a small matter of time till she is found."

"Just a small matter of time?", the Father briefly looked up at Lundgren and then back down to the map. "Surely you jest. You see, my Daughter is very intelligent and certainly can out-fox a few ragged men that you call your regiment."

Lundgren glared at the Father for a moment and then quickly blanked it out before he took notice. This was his first major assignment and he was not going to fail it.

The Father continued to look at the map, "Lieutenant Lundgren."

"Yes sir?"

"You were a bright student and you graduated at the top of your class. But you have much to learn yet. I have decided to turn over command to a more experienced soldier. However, you should not think of it as a demotion. Look at him, like a mentor."

"A mentor sir?" Lundgren was both incensed over the loss of his command and confused at the use of the word _mentor_ all at the same time.

"Yes Lieutenant, a mentor. A superior officer willing to take on a prodigy. Even I had a mentor when I was a young lad rising up through the ranks." The Father looked over to a corner in the room. It was then that Lundgren realized that it was the last remaining dark corner in the room; the sunlight had not yet reached it.

The Father motioned and a figure emerged from the dark. He was dressed in a long black leather coat. "Lieutenant Lundgren, this is both your commanding officer and your mentor. General Zero."


	5. Chapter 5, Back to Central City

Zero looked at Lieutenant Lundgren. He was as tall and could easily look him in the eye, but he was young. So very young compared to himself. He briefly wondered if he could even grow facial hair and with that he snickered quietly. Lundgren was going to be one of those that had the book smarts but no real soldiering experience. But this was part of the agreement with the Father. The Father came looking for him, wanting him. In exchange for saving his life he only had to serve the Father. That was fine. That was his purpose in life. He had served the Tin Men; served Azkadelia the Witch, and now served Him.

The map of the Central City zone was still on the table. Zero turned from Lundgren, looked down at it, and then back to Lundgren. "Get your men ready to leave by noon. We're going to meet up with your little regiment at Calvert. Be sure that they wear civilian clothes. There's no need to draw attention to ourselves yet."

"Noon sir?" Lundgren couldn't help but answer a little incredulously.

"Yes, Lieutenant, by _noon_. Tell your men to pack light, we'll pick up what need along the way. _This isn't going to be a scenic trip_." The last sentence dripped with sarcasm.

Lundgren's eyes glared at Zero, "Of course sir. We will be ready." And with that he nodded to the Father and left.

* * *

So far silence had been their only other companion on the trip to Central City. There was the occasional rustling in the woods but it was nothing more than small animals or deer. They could still make out the flatbed truck tracks. It was a beautiful winter day but following the tracks was a constant somber reminder of what happened the day before.

Jill did manage to get Cain to talk more about the wicked witch and the O.Z. He told her about the quest for the Emerald, Glitch, Raw, his son Jeb, and DG. It was a lot for her to take in and she wanted to ask more questions but she held her tongue. After talking about DG he didn't seem like he wanted to speak about it anymore and she respected that. It wasn't exactly like she was a chatterbox either.

It was hard for her to ignore how close he was to her. Every now and again he asked if she was warm enough and she always replied that she was. His strong arms laid down at her sides; holding Jack's reins slack. She wondered if it bothered him like it was bothering her; if it was he didn't show it.

After awhile Cain broke the silence again, "What did you do back home?"

Jill's head snapped back to attention. She had started to doze off. "Huh?"

He leaned just a little closer to her, "I said, what did you do to make a living?"

"Oh. Sorry. I didn't hear what you said the first time. I must've dozed off a little." She shook her head slightly to try to wake herself up. "I was an administrative assistant."

"A what?" Cain sounded confused.

"A secretary."

"And do all secretaries know how to use guns?" He asked. He was thinking about what happened yesterday. He wanted to know more about her. He tried to convince himself that it because of his old Tin Man self, but he wasn't doing a good job of it.

She smiled. "Dad had two daughters but he raised us like sons. He made sure that we knew how to handle firearms. He didn't want us to be afraid of them."

"Wise man." Cain smiled to himself.

_If you say so. _"I never went hunting or anything like that. I just mostly spent the summers picking off nuisance groundhogs and other critters." She added, "He had a small caliber rifle that I used."

"Were you a good shot?"

"I held my own. If I couldn't get the head shot I didn't take it." She paused. "I'm probably really rusty now though. After I moved out on my own I never went and bought my own rifle."

"True. But it's good that you know to handle one safely." He thought about yesterday and his gut told him that she might have to handle one again.

She didn't say anything else and neither did he. There wasn't a need to.

* * *

They stopped for a brief rest and snack at what looked like a main intersection. Cain said that they were going to continue north towards Central City. They were going to be on what the locals called the "Old Road". Since it was one of two main roads to Central City it was also heavily traveled. They could no longer tell which direction the flatbed truck went.

True to Cain's word, they arrived in Central City around mid-day. They went through the main gate and Jill couldn't believe her eyes. She wasn't used to being in a large city but Central City was beyond anything that she could have imagined. It reminded her of the pictures she saw of old Chicago from the 20's or 30's. She squirmed around in her seat, straining to take everything in. Cain looked at her and smiled. "It's something isn't it? It's not back to how it was before the wicked witch but it's coming along."

They continued down the main street. There was a mixture of trucks and cars, both internal combustion and steam powered, and horses and carts. It gave the streets an eclectic, chaotic feeling. Cain had to speak louder in her ear. "The royal grounds are on the other side of the city. Jeb and I live over there, near the grounds. We'll be heading home but we have a couple of stops to make first."

They soon arrived in front of a line of stores. Cain brought Jack to a stop, got down, and tied him to a hitching point. He then helped Jill down.

He reached into one of the saddle bags and took out a small wallet. "Ummm… I know that its been a few days and you don't have anything."

Jill looked at the store front and realized that it was a ladies boutique. Mannequins displaying various undergarments were in the windows. It was prudish compared to what they normally display in a Victoria's Secret. She looked over to Cain and started to laugh. It was the first time that she had seen him look downright uncomfortable.

They went into the boutique and a sales lady immediately came over to offer assistance. Jill noticed shelves of items made of white linen, lace, bows, and god knows what else. _Well, what did you expect?_ She wondered how she was going to try to ask to see if they had something, simpler.

Cain watched Jill whisper something to the sales lady and she looked back at her with a mix of surprise and smugness. They walked to the back of the store. He took off his hat and fumbled with it. He glanced at the back every now and then. Another sales lady asked him if needed assistance. "No Maam, I'm just waiting for someone."

A short time later they emerged from the back and Jill motioned to him that she was ready to purchase her items. Cain reached into his small wallet, paid, and took long steps to get out of the store.

"You could have waited out here with Jack," Jill grinned as she said it. "It was warmer in there," he replied. _Better to keep an eye on you is more like it. _"Did you get what you wanted?"

"It did prove a little interesting. Their commonly sold items are a lot more involved than what I'm used to. So that's why that sales lady took me to the back." Jill started laughing again as she said it.

Cain looked at her and his mind wandered to what she was implying. She took notice of his blush and he quickly looked away.

Gruffly he said to her, "Here, get back up on Jack. We have a couple of more stops to make." She was still giggling as he unhitched Jack and walked him down the street.

They stopped at a Five and Dime store for some hygiene items. She asked the clerk if they had anything resembling hair gel. That was an oops. First he gave her a blank look. Then he went over the men's section and brought back a container of something resembling petroleum jelly. She politely declined it. At least they had hair spray. Then it was off to a men's shop. That was another experience. Cain's heart was in the right place. He thought that she would be more comfortable in another pair of pants and shirt and knew that a normal ladies' clothing store wouldn't carry them; at least what she was accustomed to. He forgot how they fit men's wear though. Needless to say there was a tense moment when the sales clerk forgot he was measuring a woman and his hand started to run up the inside of her thigh.

It was late afternoon by the time that they were done shopping and arrived at Cain and Jeb's house. The palace grounds were nearby and the upper outline of the palace was clearly visible. The house looked small from the outside. It was two stories and looked like the other ones down the length of the street. Cain said that since both he and Jeb were members of the royal guards they were allowed to live there if they chose to do so. It reminded Jill of the on-base housing her sister lived in when she was in the Marines. They went through a small gate and the path led to a small stable. There were two stalls and one had another large brown horse in it. Jill assumed that the empty one was for Jack. Cain looked over at the other large horse. "Here, let me help you down and then wait here. We'll go in the house together."

* * *

DG and Azkadelia walked down the hallway arm in arm. The late afternoon suns cast long rays through the open windows.

"DG, I would like to go out shopping with you tomorrow."

DG looked over at her sister. She was still looking down at the floor. "Are you sure? That's wonderful if you're feeling up to it."

Azkadelia looked up at her. "Yes, I'm sure. Dr. Addison believes that I'm ready." She paused. "Ready to face the world again," and she said it with a small smile.

DG smiled at her. "I'll let Mother and Father know that we're going. I have some lessons in the morning but we can leave right after that."

By now they had reached Dr. Addison's office. DG pulled her arm from Azkadelia's. "See you at supper Az."

Azkadelia smiled at DG again and opened Dr. Addison's door.


	6. Chapter 6, The Prowler

Cain finished taking care of Jack and put away all of his hunting gear. Jill took all of the items Cain purchased for her and he grabbed his saddlebags and her workbag. Together they walked to the back of the house and found the back door unlocked.

The back door led into a small kitchen and Jill was pleasantly surprised to find modern conveniences. Not modern in the sense of what she was used to but more along the lines of items that maybe her grandparents used at one time. A single ceiling lamp lighted the kitchen and an old radiator alongside the wall provided heat. There was a small table with four chairs and a small stove and refrigerator. She was relieved to see that that they had running water; no hand pumping was required.

Jill followed Cain through the kitchen into the living room. It was plainly furnished. _A typical bachelor's pad_ Jill thought to herself. There was a couch and chairs, and the same type of radiator for heat. End tables with simple lamps and lampshades provided a warm electric glow. An old fashioned radio was near one of the chairs. There were two bookcases filled with books and other assorted items. A staircase led upstairs and they both could hear running water. It stopped and a voice yelled down, "Hello?! Anyone there?!"

Cain went over to the staircase, "It's just me Jeb. If you come down, make sure you're decent. We have a visitor."

He looked over to Jill, "You can put your stuff down on the couch for now."

They took off their coats and Cain hung them in the closet. Jill started to look at the books in the bookcase. As she did so, Jeb came down the steps, buttoning his shirt. "I didn't think that you were due back for a couple of days yet." He turned, looked up from what he was doing, and stopped. Jill turned away from the bookcase. Her sweater and jeans gave her away.

Cain wasn't surprised at Jeb's shocked look. "Jeb, this is Jill Wilkins. Jill, this is my son, Jeb."

Jill walked over to Jeb and put out her right hand. "Nice to meet you Jeb," Jeb was still in a bit of shock but he made himself move. Her grip was firm and it surprised him as much as it did Cain the first time. "Nice to meet you too."

Jill walked back over to the couch and sat down. Jeb recovered from his initial shock and turned to Cain, "Dad, Samantha invited me over for supper and I'm already late." He grabbed his coat from the closet and headed for the door. "I've worked the past seven days and this is my first evening off. If I knew that you were going to be home early." His voiced trailed off.

"It's okay son. Go ahead and go." Even Jill could tell that Cain was disappointed that Jeb was running off.

"Look, I won't stay long. Samantha will understand." His hand rested on the doorknob. He looked conflicted. He wanted to stay there and find out what was going on but he didn't want to break his promise to Samantha either.

Cain put his hand on Jeb's shoulder. "Jeb, go to Samantha's and have a nice supper. Tell her parents that I said hello."

"Alright. I'll see you later then." He looked at his father, took a parting glance at Jill, and then went out the door.

After he left, Jill asked, "Whose Samantha?"

"Jeb's fiancée." Cain answered and started to go up the stairs. "Go ahead and look through the books. I'm going to make room for your things in my bedroom. You can sleep in there and I'll sleep on the couch."

Cain continued up the staircase without waiting for Jill to answer and reached his bedroom. He moved some things on his dresser in order to make room for her items. His hands drifted over a small cedar box. He picked it up and opened it. It was full of the letters that were written to him when he was in the western territories. He sat down on the bed and started to leaf through them. Most were from Jeb. It was by letter that Jeb first told him that he was dating a new girl; Samantha was her name. Then the letters came that told him that they were in love. Then the letter came that said that he had proposed. It was the last letter Jeb wrote to him before he came home. Cain quickly re-read it again and put it back in the box. There were a few letters from Glitch and even a short one from Raw. But there were none from DG. He closed the box and put it away on the top shelf of his closet. He took one last glance at his bedroom. Nothing else was out of place and the bed had not been slept in since he had been away. He went back downstairs.

"The bedroom's ready for you," Cain said as he went into the kitchen. Jill got up and followed him. Cain opened up the refrigerator and found only a bottle of milk and two eggs. Cain smirked to himself, "Jeb hasn't done a good job keeping the refrigerator stocked." He shut the door, "There's a tavern near by that has good food. I'll go and get something for both of us." He went to the back door and made sure that it was locked.

He then headed for the closet and Jill got out of his way. "You'll be all right here alone."

"Even without a loaded gun by the door?" Jill's nagging voice in her head told her to not to count on it.

"Yes, even without having a loaded gun by the door," Cain saw her doubtful look, "There are other royal guards all along this street and nothing will happen this close to the palace." _Nothing should happen, right? _He put on his coat and hat. "While I'm gone you can get cleaned up and unpack your things. There are extra towels in the bathroom closet."

He started going out the door, "Be sure to lock the door behind me, and," and he looked back slightly, "I won't be long." Jill called out after him and he stopped, "Cain, be careful."

He just nodded his head. The door shut behind him and he waited a moment on the stoop. He heard the clicking of the locks and he started down the street.

* * *

Jill looked around. The house was still except for the ticking of the clock on the wall. She found it a little unnerving. She grabbed all of the items that Cain bought for her and took them upstairs. She found Cain's bedroom easily enough. Like the other rooms it was plainly furnished. There was a dresser with a mirror and a single bed and chair. On the nightstand there was another simple lamp and lampshade. The curtains were open and a faint glow from the street lamps filled the room. She turned on the lamp and closed the curtains. She unpacked her things and then went to get cleaned up.

The shower felt good and she couldn't help but stay there until she wrinkled up like a prune. _Hopefully their water bill won't go through the roof_. She put on her new pajamas and went downstairs into the kitchen. Cain still wasn't back yet. _So much for not being gone long_. She started going through the cupboards looking for a mug and some tea. She didn't think that Cain and Jeb would mind.

_Boom!_ _Boom! Boom! _Someone was pounding on the back door. Then the doorknob violently jiggled.

She dropped the mug and it landed with a crash on the floor. She couldn't breathe. The back door was a solid door and the curtains were drawn over the only kitchen window. She looked over to the window, trying to peer through the curtains. She couldn't see out and if someone was out there, they couldn't see in either. Did they hear the crashing of the mug?

She had to will herself to move. With trembling hands she started opening drawers as quietly as she could. She found one drawer that had all sorts of kitchen utensils; including some knives. She pulled out the largest one.

She strained to hear anything from outside.

_Boom!_ _Boom! Boom! _Someone was now pounding on the front door. Then the doorknob violently jiggled again.

She wanted to peek out around the corner but she didn't dare to. She was afraid that she would be seen. There was a window in the living room and she couldn't remember if the curtains were drawn or not.

She strained again to hear anything from outside. The silence was deafening.

It seemed like an eternity but nothing more happened. She cautiously peered around the corner into the living room. With relief she saw that the curtains were closed. Hopefully no one could see in; but then again she couldn't see out either.

She went back into the kitchen and placed one of the chairs underneath the doorknob of the back door. She did the same to the front door.

Her blue blanket was still downstairs and she grabbed it. She sat down at the entranceway to the kitchen and draped it over herself. She loosely held the knife.

* * *

A light snow started to fall as Cain walked home. There were only a few people on the street. It was a Monday night and most had already spent their money over the weekend.

Cain walked down the familiar line of houses and reached into his pocket for his keys. He picked one and placed it in the lock. It turned and he pushed the door but it wouldn't go open.

Jill's voice cried out, "Who's there!?!"

"Jill! It's me, Cain. Why won't the door open?" He dropped the bag of food on to the stoop and reached for his gun.

"Are you alone!?"

"Yes Jill I'm alone! What the hell is going on?!" He looked up and down the street. All was silent.

He didn't hear her footsteps but he heard something being moved out of the way. He entered the living room and found Jill with one hand steadying the chair and a knife in the other. When he found her at the cabin her eyes were red and puffy and she turned to him for comfort. This time her face was hard and her eyes were clear and dark.

"Someone tried to come in." By now her confidence returned and there was no sign of the fear that gripped her earlier.

"Where at?" Cain said as he looked back out the door.

"Both the back and front doors."

"Wait here and lock the door behind me. I'm going to take a look around." And with that he went back outside.

Jill did what he asked and went to start picking up the pieces of the broken mug.

Cain carefully walked around the perimeter of the house. Sure enough in the skiffs of snow were one set of footprints that led around the windows and the doors. He checked the barn and found both Jack and Jeb's horse, Charlie, in their stalls. Nothing was disturbed and they both just looked at him. He went back around to the front of the house and knocked on the door. "Jill! It's me Cain."

Jill opened the door for him. He picked up the food that was left on the stoop and went inside. Jill closed the door after him and locked it.

"There was only one set of footprints and it doesn't look like they disturbed anything. The horses are okay."

Jill said nothing but her look said it all. _Nothing will happen, yeah right_.

He went over to one of the end tables and it was the first time that Jill realized that they had a telephone. She didn't know how she missed it earlier in the evening but she did.

She went back into the kitchen, found a small brush and dustpan and finished cleaning up the broken pieces of mug. It sounded like Cain was talking to someone at a police station. All he said was that he went out to the tavern, came home and found evidence of a prowler. He didn't tell the person on the other end that she was there.

She heard him hang up the phone and walk into the kitchen. He saw her holding the brush and dustpan. "What happened in here?" he asked as he put the bag of food on the counter.

"I had planned on making a cup of tea when whoever it was started to pound on the back door. I dropped the mug." She said it too matter-of-factly for his liking.

"Where can I put this?" She motioned towards the brush and pan.

Cain reached out for it, opened up a cupboard door underneath the sink and dumped the pieces in a small trashcan. "I called the Precinct and submitted a report on the prowler," he told her as he put away the brush and pan. "They may send someone over here to take a second look. If they do I want you to go upstairs."

Jill gave him a quizzical look.

"I don't know if it's coincidence or not. The detective said that they've had reports of 'peeping toms' in the area. Kids mostly. But I don't want to advertise to everyone that you're here." Cain started to take a few pans out of a cupboard. The food was now cold and was going to have to be re-warmed. By now Jill was sitting at the table. The chair that she had placed under the doorknob of the back door was still there. He looked over at her. "Are you sure you're going to be alright?"

"Sure," she shrugged her shoulders. "Never been better."

* * *

Jill was already in bed by the time Jeb came home. It was late. Jeb found Cain sitting in one of the chairs, one hand held a large shot of whiskey. Jill's folded blue blanket was on his thigh and he rested his other arm on it. The radio was softly playing a light jazz tune.

After Jeb got settled, he told him everything that had happened; including that night's prowler. Jeb didn't say anything until he was done.

"Who did you speak to at the Precinct?" Jeb asked.

"Detective Spencer. He never did send anyone to look around." Cain replied.

Jeb paused for a moment, "Did you register her yet?"

"What?"

"Register her. About five months ago the Queen issued an order that all outworlders had to register with the government." Jeb replied.

Cain frowned, "Why'd they'd start doing that for?"

"Not sure exactly. It just came from out of nowhere. They grandfathered the order though. Only those who came after the date of the order had to register, all others were optional. But to show support for it, Lord Ahamo registered. I guess most living in the city have registered but there all ones living here prior to the date of the order."

Cain continued to frown, "It sounds like it should have been requested from the police commissioners or from the army if they were that concerned about outworlders."

Jeb shrugged his shoulders, "I know. But none I've talked to knew about it. They didn't think that there was that big of a problem."

By now Cain finished off his whiskey and got up to pour another glass. He gently set the blanket on the floor.

"You can register Jill down at the 9th Precinct. It's the closest one that has a registration office."

"What happens if she doesn't register?"

"At the very least the outworlder gets thrown in jail. If a person is found to be harboring an unregistered outworlder, they're thrown in jail too. On top of that if the outworlder registers and their paperwork isn't in order, they can be held until it's cleared."

Cain sat back down, he was still frowning. "Dad, I know that it doesn't smell right but you're going to have to have to get her registered. It's the law."

"I know son. After what happened tonight, it just sounds too damn convenient."

For a moment neither said anything. A commercial for Poulton's Fine Jewelers played on the radio. It was Samantha's father's business. "What did you say she did again in the other world?" Jeb asked.

"She said that she was a secretary."

Jeb thought for another moment. "She must be a real special one. It's not like we don't have them here already."

Cain didn't say anything. But Jeb's remark made it clear to him that he was questioning both his judgment and his acceptance that she was just a secretary.

Jeb got up to go upstairs, "I'll ask around tomorrow to see if anyone has heard of any travel storm sightings." Cain raised an eyebrow. "And I'll make sure that I'll keep it quiet."

He had only taken a few steps up the staircase when Cain called out to him, "Jeb. How's Samantha?"

Jeb stopped. "She's good Dad." He paused and then added, "Her mom and dad want to have you over for supper some time this week." He lightly gripped the banister. "I told them that I would give you the message." He paused again. "You know that she'd like to have a summer wedding and that's what her parents would like to talk to you about."

Cain looked at his son, standing there on the staircase. It only seemed like yesterday that he was running around the farm and now here he was a grown man, ready to get married, begin a family. His blue eyes softened. "Your mother and I were married in the summer. It's a nice time of year."

"Thanks Dad, "and with that he walked up the staircase.

Cain turned off the radio and the lights then laid down on the couch. He stayed awake for a long time.


	7. Chapter 7, Prelude to Redemption

The alarm clock went off and the Father reached over to turn it off. He knew he had been dreaming again but he could only remember that he was standing in a field in France and he could feel the hot sun beating down on his face. He felt the amulet warm against his chest and he grasped it lovingly. He got out of bed. Today was the day that he made his rounds of Oradour and of some of the neighboring villages. But first he had a very special stop to make.

It did not take him long to get ready. He paused to take a look in the full length mirror. He was dressed in his distinctive black pants, shirt, and suit jacket. He adjusted his tie ever so slightly. He then walked over to his dresser and took a closer look at the mirror. He combed his gray hair, and then his beard. He noticed a stray hair from his mustache and trimmed that as well. He took one final look in the mirror to make sure that he was impeccably groomed. He wore no adornments on the outside. He did not need to. Everyone knew who he was. He felt the heat from the amulet. _Soon. I will do it soon_.

He put on his long outside coat and then walked back to his mirror again to make sure that he was groomed. He then walked down the hallway, silently counting his steps from his private chambers. The light was soft and warm. He nodded to the occasional guard and went outside.

The first rays of sunlight from the twin suns began to awaken Oradour. It was one of the larger towns for this region. It was a very clean town with tree-lined streets. All of the storefronts and houses were painted without a single blemish. There was no garbage and even the alleyways were clean. He waved to the other early-risers and the smell of fresh baking bread began to drift in the air. He walked down the main street alone. It was not unusual for him to do this. There was no need for bodyguards because quite simply there was no crime. Protectors roamed the streets and kept the peace. But no one noticed that he left no footprints in the freshly fallen snow.

Off in the distance he heard the clattering of horses' hooves on the cobblestone street. Around the corner came a small contingency of the Queen's army. He was not alarmed. They knew each other well. In fact, most of the officers married in to his extended Family.

The officer's pulled up their horses in front of him.

"Good morning Father!" said Major Ireland.

"Good day to you sir" warmly replied the Father. He immediately recognized Major Ireland. Major Ireland was the Queen's representative for this region of the O.Z. He oversaw the various outposts for the army. He was middle-aged and the Father knew that he had two sons who would soon be following in the Major's footsteps.

"I am just taking the usual tour so that I can make my monthly report to the Queen. As always, everything is in order. Are there any special issues that you would like to discuss?"

"No, no, Major. As you said, everything is in order. I was just off to have a light breakfast and then start my day," replied the Father.

"Of course, do not let me keep you. We can make arrangements to meet later. Have a good day Father." With that Major Ireland signaled to his officers that he was ready to continue and the group started off. Their horses' hooves echoed down the street.

The Father continued down the street until he reached a small nondescript house. The curtains still were closed over the front windows. He stood on the stoop and rang the doorbell. There was a short pause. The door opened and there stood Mrs. Derr.

"Oh! Good morning, Father. I wasn't expecting to see you so early this morning," she said.

"Forgive me for the early visit Mrs. Derr. Today will be a very busy day for me and I wanted to make sure that I was able to talk to you and Mr. Derr. May I come in?"

"But of course."

By now Mr. Derr appeared in the small foyer and he stood alongside and slightly behind his wife. "Good morning Father," he said in a low soft voice. The Father noticed that they both looked very tired and whether she realized it or not Mrs. Derr wringed her hands together. Mr. Derr placed one of his hands on her shoulder.

"I wanted to come by to tell you that today is the day that your daughter Rebecca will be redeemed." He looked at them lovingly. "I know that the past few months have been difficult but it will all come to fruition soon."

Mrs. Derr let out a small gasp and her eyes started to mist. She reached into her small apron pocket, pulled out a tissue and dabbed her eyes. Mr. Derr put his other hand on his wife's shoulder, and then pulled her in close to him. "Thank you Father."

The Father continued to look warmly at them. "Once Rebecca has been redeemed we will have the ceremony at the Church. I will have one of my aides come by later to help you prepare."

Mrs. Derr continued to weep but there was happiness in her eyes. Mr. Derr let her go and opened the door for the Father. Mr. Derr wished him well again and softly closed the door.

The Father stood on the stoop for a moment and inhaled deeply. Then he continued on down the street. It was going to be a perfect day.

* * *

Jill heard movement but it was still very dark and very early. She guessed that the sounds she heard meant that it was Jeb leaving for work. She made the mistake of letting her eyes close again. The next time she opened them there were rays of sunlight coming through the cracks of the curtain.

"Shit." The alarm clock on the nightstand showed 8:30. She didn't want to get up before dawn but she didn't want to wake up that long after sunrise either.

She grabbed her glasses and tried to smooth down her hair. She went to the bedroom door and listened. She didn't hear anything. She opened the door and went downstairs.

The smell of bacon and coffee met her at the kitchen. Cain stood over the stove, watching the bacon crackle, "Hey there sleepyhead."

"Morning. I'm sorry I slept in for so long." She saw empty mugs on the counter, picked one up and went over to the stove to get some coffee.

"It's okay. You've had a big couple of days." He didn't say anything about what happened last night. He poured her some coffee. Then he pulled out another skillet from a cupboard and started to warm it up. "How do you like your eggs?"

"Cooked hard on both sides."

His look said it all.

"Here, just let me fix them rather than try to explain it to you." She put her coffee back down on the counter and then proceeded to grab the flipper from Cain. He moved out of her way and leaned up against the counter. She took a spoon and put some of the bacon grease in the skillet. Then she cracked open two eggs. They sizzled as they hit the skillet. She smiled to herself. It took Craig two years to figure out how she liked her eggs, how was Cain going to figure it out in four days. Then her smiled disappeared. _If you could only see what I got myself in to now._

"What's wrong?" Cain noticed the smile that disappeared from her face.

"Oh. Nothing." She forced a smile and changed the subject. "I don't like them runny, or even just dippy. They have to be a little harder than just dippy." She stopped herself. She just realized that she was rambling on about the various states of dippiness.

Cain rolled his eyes, "I never met anyone who was so particular about their eggs."

They finished breakfast and Jill went upstairs to get dressed.

* * *

Jill went downstairs and found Cain looking at a newspaper. "So what's on the agenda today?"

He put it down and looked at her. She had on the shirt and pants he bought her yesterday. They fit a little loose but she wore them well. It was the first time he saw her hair styled too. He never saw a woman with that short of hair but he found himself liking it. It suited her. _Snap out of it. _He willed himself to concentrate on what he had to tell her next. He didn't think that she was going to like it.

"We have to go to the 9th Street Precinct."

"Okay, I'm ready to go whenever you are. Are you going to follow up on the report that you made last night?" She went to the closet to get her boots.

"Not exactly Jill, it's not that simple."

She pulled out her boots and sat down in one of the chairs. "What do you mean _it's not that simple?"_ Her eyebrows furled in now typical fashion.

"I was talking with Jeb after you went to bed. While I was away the Queen passed a law ordering all outworlders to register with the government. I didn't hear about, being so far away." He paused, "Look, if I had known about it earlier I would've told you."

Jill looked down at her boots and opened up the laces. Cain wasn't sure how she was taking the news.

"And if I don't?" the edge in her voice came back.

"If you're caught they'll throw you in jail." She continued to put her boots on.

"And they'll throw me in jail for aiding an unregistered outworlder."

That made Jill's head snap to attention. She threw herself back into the chair. _Damn it. _

"Does anyone else have to register?"

"No. It's just outworlders."

Jill ran her hand through her hair and held it there for a moment. She always had a certain amount of mistrust about people. It went back to her childhood and it had always been tough to get away from. She had managed to suppress that nagging voice so far. She didn't have much of a choice when she first woke up in this world. But now that nagging voice roared back to life with a vengeance. _You really don't know this Cain or his son. He's taken care of you and you've even started to fall a little for those blue eyes of his. But he's left you alone, twice. Both times people have attempted to break in. Now you get to "register"._ She dropped her hand to the arm of the chair and stared at him.

Cain felt the heat from those brown eyes burning in to him. Her face was hard and he knew that she was doubting him. He started to sense it last night after he came home, after the prowler.

He leaned forward in his chair and let his eyes meet hers. "Jill. I know that it's hard but you have to trust me."

His words struck her. It was the first time that anyone in a long time said _them._

"Last night you told me that if anyone came from the Precinct to look around I was to go upstairs. What happened to 'I don't want to advertise that you're here?'"

Cain continued. "I know what I told you last night. But I have to uphold the law." _It's my duty, Jill; you've got to understand that._ "And that means that I need to get you registered. After that we'll go to the palace. There are people that may be able to explain what's going on," he paused, "If nothing else, you'll be safer there."

The only thing that Jill said was her usual, "Okay," but her look said it all, _for now._

* * *

Given that it was mid-morning Central City was fully awake. It was as chaotic as it was when they first arrived. As they walked down the street they came upon the tavern where Cain bought their supper from the night before. Jill looked up at the sign and stopped in her tracks.

"That's where I bought our supper." Cain paused, "You do have taverns don't you?"

Jill continued to look at the sign. She cocked her head. _Where have I seen that before?_

"Oh, yeah. We have taverns but we just call them bars. There's something about that sign that strikes me funny."

It was a black wooden sign that Jill was staring at. It was ornately carved with golden lettering and hung from two wrought iron chains. The symbol that she was staring at looked like the letter Z on its side, with a small vertical line in the middle of it. Beneath the symbol was the word "Wolfsangel".

"That's the name of the tavern, Wolfsangel." Cain was growing concerned that they might be starting to draw attention just standing there in the middle of the sidewalk. "Jill, what is it?"

"I can't remember something and it's starting to piss me off. I swear I've seen that symbol somewhere before." She took one last look. "Let's get going. Maybe it'll come to me later when I'm not thinking about it." She started on ahead. Cain looked at the sign and did his best to memorize it. He always frequented that tavern and nothing about it ever gave him any concern; until now. Seeing Jill standing there, staring at the sign made him feel uneasy. He took one last parting glance and walked fast to catch up to her.

The 9th Street Precinct was an imposing building and was located slightly back from the street. It was built of stone, steel, and glass and was six stories tall. Cain told Jill that it was one of the newer buildings, built just before the Witch's reign. The building that had been there before had to be razed due to a fire. The owner decided not to rebuild and the city purchased the land, built the new precinct and consolidated two other ones. They went up one set of stone steps from the street. The steps led up to a flat area where there were a few trees, benches, and two flanking fountains. The parquet walkway went between the two fountains and led them to the twin steel and glass doors of the Precinct. A mixture of civilians, Tin Men, and other city workers busily went in and out of the building.

Cain opened the door for her and they went inside. It was a large lobby and the sunlight coming through the large front windows warmed it nicely. The floor was of dark gray stone and it complimented the golden wood columns and brass fixtures. Towards the other end there were office doors and elevators. Guards stood nearby watching all who entered and left. Jill saw that they wore their guns out in the open. There was a large four sided reception desk in the middle of the lobby and Cain headed towards it. There was an older woman busily answering the phone, directing visitors, and shuffling papers.

Cain took off his hat, "Good morning Linda." Linda looked up from her typewriter and saw Cain standing in front of her desk. Obviously she did not recognize Jill and she raised an eyebrow when she took note of her. "Why, good morning Major Cain. It's been a long time."

"Yeah, it has been Linda. Do you know if Sergeant Costello is in?"

"I did see him come in this morning. Wait a moment and I'll ring Denise to make sure that he's around." Linda turned away from them and proceeded to dial a number on the telephone.

Cain turned to Jill and said, "Sergeant Costello is a good man. He'll be able to tell us if there's anything odd going on in or around the city." Jill just nodded and kept looking around. She grew hot in her jacket and took it off. She turned back around when she heard Linda speak.

"Major Cain, Denise tells me that Sergeant Costello is in. She already told him that it was you who was looking for him. His department is on the fourth floor, to your left after you get off the elevator. Oh, and _she_ has to sign the logbook." Linda reached up on the counter and shoved the visitor's register and pen at Jill. Jill scowled at her, signed her name and then shoved the book back at her.

Cain ignored the whole little episode. "Thanks Linda, and take care of yourself" he told her. "You too," she answered as she picked up the telephone which just rang again. Out of the corner of her eye Jill saw that Linda was looking at her warily.

They didn't have to wait long for an elevator and they had no problems finding Sergeant Costello's office.

In fact, Sergeant Costello did not wait for Cain and Jill to get to his office. As soon as he saw them walk in to the department he practically ran up to them. "Cain! How you've been!" and proceeded to give him a bear hug. Cain returned the hug and smiled warmly at him. Sergeant Costello was a very large, well-built man. He had a dark complexion with short, black, curly hair, and dark deep set eyes. Other than a few gray hairs on his temples you would never know how much older he was. He too carried an open gun.

"What brings you here to the Precinct, Cain?" and just after he said it he saw Jill. She had been standing behind Cain during the entire hug-fest. Those dark eyes looked at her in the same way that Cain's blue eyes took her in for the first time. For a moment his eyes fixated on her pink jacket and then took in the rest of her. "You're not from around here are you?" he gruffly said to her.

_I might as well hang a fucking neon sign over my head that says "I'm Not From Here"_ she thought and then it would be over with. She was getting a little tired of all the eyebrow raising and the once-overs. At least the Sergeant had enough balls to come out and say it though.

Before he had a chance to say anything else, Jill marched up to him, held out her right hand again and said, "No sir, I am _not_ from around here, but it's a pleasure to meet you anyway. My name is Jill Wilkins." She didn't care if she sounded sarcastic or not.

As Sergeant Costello shook her hand, he said, "I'm sorry Miss Wilkins, I didn't mean to insult you if I did. I'm Sergeant Costello." Jill didn't say anything but she did upturn her mouth a little and forced a smile. It was as close to as an "apology accepted" as he was going to get.

It was noisy in the department and they walked in between rows of desks to get to the Sergeant's office. Jill thought that it looked like a typical police department from any generic cops and robbers movie. Cain turned to Sergeant Costello and asked, "Is there somewhere Jill could go while we talk?" The Sergeant thought for a moment and said, "I'll have Petey look after her. You don't know him since he came on to the force after you left town. So, he's a rookie but she'll be fine as long as they stay in here. Besides he's fascinated with outerworld stuff so he'll be like a kid in a candy shop. I'll go get him." He patted Cain on the shoulder as he walked out the door.

As soon as he was out of earshot, Jill glared at Cain and hissed loudly, "What do you mean, 'While we talk'? Is it that top secret that I can't be in here too?"

Cain knew that she'd be angry. "Jill, Sergeant Costello might be more willing to speak freely if you weren't around. It didn't take him long to figure out that you were an outworlder did it?" Jill stopped her glaring. "If I'm going to be asking him questions about that outworlder law, what happened back at the cabin, and the prowler, do you think he's going to be that open in front of you?"

Jill crossed her arms and sighed with resignation. "Fine." She rolled her eyes, "I'll be sure to keep Petey amused."

"Petey" Staggart was a very young, red-headed, and very freckled Tin Man. Once Sergeant Costello introduced Jill to him and let him know that she was an outworlder, Petey practically started to drag her back to his desk out of excitement. As she was dragged off she made it a point to give Cain one last parting glare.

An hour had passed by the time that Cain and Sergeant Costello came back to Petey's desk. Jill was slouched back in his visitor's chair, one hand holding up her head. Petey was twirling around and around in his chair, arms raised in the air, totally oblivious to the world. He had discovered the thrill of listening to rock music from an I-Pod.

"PETEY! WHAT IN THE GODS' NAME ARE YOU DOING?!" bellowed Sergeant Costello.

Petey stopped so abruptly he nearly fell out of his chair. He fumbled the I-Pod and he managed to pull the earplugs out of his ears. The group, Disturbed, played loudly.

"HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I TOLD YOU NOT TO PLAY WITH EVIDENCE?!" Sergeant Costello bellowed again. Everyone in the department paused and went silent for a moment, then they went back to their work. It was obvious that Petey got yelled at on a frequent basis.

"Sorry Sarge." He fumbled the I-Pod again, and Jill reached over and just took it from him. She turned it off and placed it back down on his desk.

Cain noticed that Petey's desk was a mess of gadgets from the outerworld. He must have driven Jill nuts he thought to himself.

Sergeant Costello calmed down about one notch. "Petey, make yourself useful and take Cain and Jill down to the Registration Office." He turned to Cain and gave him one last handshake, "Take care of yourself and stay out of trouble." He looked concerned and Cain noticed it all too easily, "I will old friend." Sergeant Costello then turned to Jill and told her, "It was nice to meet you Miss Wilkins. You take care of yourself as well."

Jill looked at him, and saw that same look of concern that he gave to Cain. "Thanks. You too." She wondered what Cain found out but realized she was going to have to wait a little while yet.

"You guys ready?" Petey asked both of them. Cain nodded and they followed him out of the department. Sergeant Costello looked at all the stuff that Petey had on his desk and sighed. But then a small black object caught his eye and he picked it up. He rotated it around a couple of times but didn't recognize the symbol. It was the letter Z on its side with a vertical line down the middle of it. He put it back down, went back to his office, and shut the door. He looked out the window for a long time.

* * *

Cain and Jill had to wait in the Registration Office's reception area for over half-an-hour before someone saw them. Unfortunately there was no one else in the there except for Petey. He took Sergeant Costello's order to take them to the Registration Office to also mean "keep them company." He talked incessantly and constantly pulled outworlder items, mostly trinkets, from his vest pockets and asked Jill about them. Cain could tell that Jill was about ready to strangle him and he was relieved when they were finally ushered in to a back office.

The actual application process took another half-an-hour or so. She was asked the typical questions like name, age, birth date, place of birth, etc. Place of birth? That was a joke she thought to herself but she answered it anyway. The registrar wrote it down without questioning it though. Cain also had to give his information since he had been keeping her and he grudgingly did so. At one point Jill was taken to another room and when she came back she was wiping black ink off of her fingers.

The registrar finished looking over her application and typed out some information on a small card. It was about the size of an index card. She was told to keep it and not to lose it. It was her temporary registration until her actual registration was sent to Cain's house.

They got up to leave and Jill finally couldn't stand it anymore. She looked at the name plate on the desk. "Mr. Garrett." He was still fiddling with some papers and seemed to ignore her. "Excuse me, Mr. Garrett," she said a little louder. He looked up at her. "So how many quote-en-quote true outworlders have you registered since the law went into effect?" He took off his glasses and replied, "Just one." She stared at him incredulously. "Do you mean just one as in one other person besides me, or just one, as in, I'm the only one?" In a very matter-of-factly voice he replied, "Just you, you're the first one. The ones I previously registered had already been here before the date of the order. But you're the first true one to register since then."

Jill wanted to rip in to Mr. Garrett even though it wasn't his fault. "Thank you Mr. Garrett," she said sternly. Cain was half blocking the doorway and she angrily shoved past him.

Cain followed after her. She was in an angry state of silence for the entire elevator ride. She marched outside and finally Cain grabbed her arm, "Jill, would you wait up?" Her face twisted in anger and his eyes met hers. He didn't back down. She felt people starting to stare so she violently shook her arm free of Cain's grip and went over to sit on one of the benches. Cain sat down next to her. The suns were high and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Jill looked up at them.

"I'm sorry Cain. I'm just pissed off that in this whole f'ing city I'm the only one who's actually had to register and I'm sick and tired of getting the look-overs."

Cain looked over at her and wished he could say something to make her feel better but nothing came out. He felt like he had let her down. He told her that they would find answers here and so far the only thing he had accomplished was to raise more questions and leave her in danger, twice.

"Why don't we get something to eat and I can tell you what Sergeant Costello and I talked about."

She looked over at him. His eyes had softened again. It was hard for her to stay angry for any period of time let alone when someone was giving her the look like he was giving her.

"Alright, let's go. You get first pick on where we eat," she said. They started to walk downtown.

* * *

Meanwhile Petey was back at the Registration Office. Some were leaving for lunch and he offered to pick up the intercompany mail on the way out. He looked over his shoulder, saw no one and ducked into Mr. Garrett's office. He quickly looked through some papers and found Jill's application. He tucked it in between some of the intercompany mail. He then left the Registration Office and headed upstairs.

* * *

In one hand DG held her wool scarf and she used the other to knock on Azkadellia's wooden door, "Hey Az! It's me, DG!"

She was dressed in a simple, but long short hair fur coat. It was incredibly warm and DG regretted putting it on. She felt a small bead of sweat roll down alongside her hairline. But she couldn't bring herself to ask Jeb to hold it for her. He had been assigned as their protection detail for their little shopping excursion this afternoon. He didn't look happy but she thought that he was sucking it up rather well.

It seemed like forever but they heard movement and Az opened the door. She was dressed in a similar simple long coat and scarf. "Ready?," asked DG. Az simply nodded and then took notice of Jeb who was standing of to the back side of DG.

"Hello Jeb. I heard that your dad was back in town. How's he doing?" she asked him.

DG's head snapped around and she looked at Azkadellia. "Where did you hear that?"

"Dr. Addison told me. I thought that you already knew." She answered simply.

"No, no I didn't." DG knew that Cain took some time off but thought that he wasn't due back for a while yet. She looked quizzically over at Jeb, "Jeb didn't say anything to me on our way here."

Jeb shrugged his shoulders in defeat. He knew that he was going to be damned whether he told DG or not that his dad was back in town. He thought more to himself, _wait until she hears he's hanging out with another outworlder_.

In order to change the subject he asked, "Are you two ready to go?" They both nodded and went off to go downtown.


	8. Chapter 8, Rebecca's Redemption

Rebecca shrieked in laughter as Detective Spencer pushed her. "Higher!," she screamed and then shrieked again. A group of small boys played tag near by. Two mothers sitting on a nearby bench eyed both their boys and the handsome man pushing the girl on the swing. They assumed that he was the girl's father. A red wagon was parked next to the swing and the man watched it carefully. One could tell that underneath the wool blanket it was full of packages.

Detective Spencer continued to push Rebecca. He had enjoyed their past few months in Central City. Rebecca's laughter reminded him of his youngest daughter. He had not seen her in over a year. He let his thoughts drift to her, his other daughters, and then his wife. All of his daughters took after their mother, except for his youngest. His youngest daughter took after him with her blonde hair and blue eyes. His other daughters had brown hair and brown eyes. His heart started to ache again but with another shriek, Rebecca brought him back to the present. To his fellow Tin Men at the Precinct she was a cousin's daughter. He told them that she was staying with him until his cousin recovered from her illness. The story was a stretch but fortunately none questioned it. Most knew that he had no other brothers or sisters so a distant cousin was the next best thing.

He looked down at his watch and then he slowly brought Rebecca to a stop. "Daniel," she started to whine, "I want to keep swinging." Detective Spencer looked down at her. There was no way that he could be angry with her today. "Rebecca, let's go downtown and get a hot chocolate. Doesn't that sound better than swinging on the swing?"

"Hot chocolate?" she asked. Then her expression changed again, "YAY!!!"

As Rebecca jumped off the swing and reached for Spencer's hand he said, "After we get some hot chocolate then you can sell some more candy for the school. Does that sound okay too?"

Rebecca looked up at him, "I like to sell candy for Mrs. Flanigan. It helps to buy things, like Benjamin."

Detective Spencer grasped Rebecca's hand and took the handle of the red wagon in the other. "Benjamin? Whose Benjamin?"

"That's our hamster." She replied as though Detective Spencer should have known that already.

They passed the two mothers sitting on the bench. One spoke, "You have a beautiful daughter. She seems so happy." Spencer paused and replied, "Yes Maam, she is very special." He quickly turned away. He did not want them to see the tears that had started to form in his eyes.

* * *

It was during the lunch time period and downtown Central City was chaotic. Since it was such a beautiful winter day, most of the city workers were out for lunch.

Jeb and his two other men, Captain Bower and Lieutenant Miller had no problems keeping near the princesses. Some of the populace took notice and if they had time, either bowed or curtsied slightly. Most took no notice since they were in a hurry to grab a bite to eat and then return to work. It was such a drastic change from nearly a year ago. Back then there were protests or even full-fledged riots every time Azkadellia made an appearance in public. It would have been impossible to guard her with only three men. The long, short hair fur coats that the princesses wore were fairly common among the more well off, and Jeb made sure that he and his men dressed in civilian clothes. Their guns were hidden but easily accessible under their clothes. This was a little shopping trip in to the city and there was no reason to wear formal attire.

DG and Azkadellia laughed a lot as they walked down the street. Jeb couldn't make out all what they were talking about but he knew that it had been a long time coming. The first six or seven months after the Witch was killed had been pure hell for Azkadellia and the rest of her family, and it was good to see her get back to some sort of normalcy. He knew that Dr. Addison had a lot to do with it and that is why the Queen and Lord Ahamo kept up his services. He personally did not care much for him. But he guessed that all that mattered to the royal family was that Azkadellia was getting better and if they had to put up with Dr. Addison then it was worth it.

His thoughts were interrupted by another round of shrill laughter and DG motioned to him that they were going to go into another store. It was a lingerie shop. He groaned, and both the Captain and Lieutenant gave him looks of "Do we have to?". He growled, "Follow them in."

Cain and Jill continued to walk towards downtown. She breathed the crisp winter air in deep in order to try to get herself calmed down. Cain did not say anything the whole time but he seemed like he was walking closer to her than what he had done before. But it might have just been wishful thinking too. They came to one of many intersections. Cain finally broke their silence, "Which way do you want to go?" She looked around and saw food trucks across the street. A faint breeze came from that way and it smelled like sausages and peppers. Her stomach growled and it took her by surprise. The smell reminded her of the Hewitt's hot sausage stands during the county fair and she suddenly felt very homesick. It didn't help matters any that she also remembered that Craig liked hot sausages too but always without the green peppers and onions. Her face felt hot and she blinked back the tears that briefly formed. She swallowed and then motioned over to the trucks, "Why don't we keep it simple and go for the sausages and peppers?" Thankfully Cain didn't notice and only said, "Sounds good to me."

Jeb, Captain Bower, and Lieutenant Miller stayed near the front of the lingerie shop. There were a few shoppers but they did not feel like they had to stay close to the princesses, especially in a place like this. Lieutenant Miller was young and every now and then Captain Bower would nudge him and ask him his opinion on a certain item. He was doing it just to make him turn red and finally Jeb told him to stop it.

DG and Azkadellia slowly walked around the tables at the back of the store. Every now and then either one would pick up a piece and hold it up for the other to see and comment on.

As she held up a small pair of black panties, Azkadellia finally asked DG, "Do you still love Glitch?"

DG dropped the lacy green bra she was holding up to look at. "What kind of question is that?"

Azkadellia merely shrugged and continued going through the pile of panties, looking for her size. "I figured that if you were still in love with Glitch then you would have accepted his marriage proposal by now."

"Of course I still love Glitch." DG quickly replied. She took one last look at the lacy green bra and decided that she did not want it. "Anyway, Glitch only asked me the other day to marry him." She walked over to another table that was full of clearance items.

Azkadellia pulled out a few pairs of panties and laid them aside, trying to make up her mind which ones she wanted. She took a glimpse over at DG, "Most girls I know say yes right on the spot."

"Az, it's a big decision." DG turned away from her. She had put that terrible day behind her when Cain told her that he was leaving. Glitch stayed behind and comforted her. Their friendship grew and then they realized that they were in love. Then he proposed under the full moonlight. _That's how all happy endings go, right?_

She picked up the panties that she wanted and walked over to the same table that DG was at. "If you love him as much as you say you do you should marry him. At least Mother and Father approve of him."

DG did not say anything more but she picked up a few corsets and started back towards the dressing rooms. She despised the things. They were instruments of torture but unfortunately some of her formal attire required them. This shop had the best ones since they did not make one feel like you were in a straight jacket.

One of the attendants unlocked a dressing room and both DG and Azkadellia politely declined her assistance.

As DG undressed, Azkadellia pulled up a chair and continued their conversation from outside the dressing room door.

"Glitch told me that he asked Father's permission to marry me," DG said through the door. "So I knew that both he and Mother gave their okay." There was some more rustling of clothes. "Why wouldn't they give their approval? He used to be one of Mother's advisors." She looked at herself in the mirror. It was white, boring, and completely for-functional-use-only. "He and Mother even had their portrait painted together."

Azkadellia pressed more, "You know, you haven't seemed like yourself since Cain has been back in the city."

DG tried to downplay what Azkadellia was starting to imply, "Cain's just a good friend who's been through a lot these past couple of months. Who wouldn't be concerned?"

Azkadellia continued looking through the door, "For being such a good friend you've gone out of your way to avoid him. Didn't I tell you that he asked me the one day where you were at?"

DG grew annoyed. "I haven't been avoiding him. He was kept busy with the hearings, then he went on vacation." _Why is Az being such a freaking pain? _"And I was busy that day too."

Azkadellia merely nodded though DG could not see it. "Then why were you so surprised to find out that he was back early?"

DG sighed and refused to answer her. She knew what Azkadellia was implying.

There were a few minutes of quiet. The only sounds were the rustling of clothes as DG was getting dressed again. Azkadellia felt like she had to ask one more question, "He doesn't know that you and Glitch are in love, does he?"

DG looked at herself in the mirror to make sure that she did not dress herself inside-out. She opened the door and looked at her, "No Az, I'm pretty sure that he doesn't know," She shut the door. "Are you ready to go?" _This was supposed to be a fun trip, why did she bring Cain up?_

Mercifully for Jeb and his men it did not take much longer for DG and Azkadellia to make their purchases and exit the shop. As the three of them stood on the street, waiting for the princesses to decide where to go next, they glanced at each other and silently understood that it was going to be a very long afternoon.

* * *

Throughout the hustle and bustle no one noticed anything unusual about the man in the long coat and hat and the small child beside him. The man was pulling a red wagon and held the child's hand in the other. Every now and then the small child would start to skip down the sidewalk. She looked lovingly up at him. They looked like any other father and daughter out for a mid-day walk.

They came to an alleyway and they took it. He led her through some other side streets and finally stopped halfway in another alleyway.

Detective Spencer looked down at Rebecca. She seemed so small but he knew that she could pull her red wagon easily enough. They had done it many times before in the park. She looked up at him with her blue eyes and said, "Is it time to sell my candy now?" Then the one eye started to drift off to the side again. Spencer knelt down to her level and brushed the yellow curls out of her eyes. "Soon, Rebecca very soon. You're going to sell a lot of candy today." He left his hand drift over the mark that the Father gave to her before they left Oradour a few months ago. It was near her hairline and the Father had sealed it with a kiss as he declared her love for her.

He looked down at his watch. It was time. His own mark from the Father started to burn. He knelt one last time in front of Rebecca and gave her a big hug. He took off her scarf. "It's time Rebecca. Go ahead and sell your candy like you've done before. Make lots of money for Mrs. Flanigan."

Rebecca gave him a huge hug and said "Okay!" Spencer held onto her for a little while longer and finally let go. It took a little more effort than usual to get her wagon going but once she did she had no problems. Her yellow curls bounced as she walked. She had a slight limp but it was hard to notice unless you paid close attention to her gait. She got to the end of the alleyway and made a left in order to stand at the corner of the intersection. Detective Spencer followed up from behind but stopped at the end of the alleyway. He made sure that she reached the corner. The corner was on 41st and Main, the heart of downtown. She was easy enough to see; she was the only one who had on a bright red long felt coat. He watched her carefully remove the blanket on top of her candy boxes and set up her cardboard sign, "CANDY For Sale. Proceeds go to Anne's School of Special Education". As she put the sign up, some adults already started to stop. She held her head up high and looked so much like a little entrepreneur. He could tell that she was enjoying the attention.

Detective Spencer stopped watching and quickly walked down the street the other way. The tears were starting to form again but he took the back of his hand and wiped them away. He walked for five minutes and then stopped. No one took notice of the small device he pulled from his coat pocket. He quickly pulled the antenna and pointed it in the direction that he had just walked from. Then he pressed a button. Nothing happened. He waited another moment and pushed the button again. This time it fired. The explosion rattled the windows as far down as he was. He shoved the device back in his pocket and mixed in with the dazed and confused crowd.

The princesses, Jeb, the Captain, and the Lieutenant stood on the street again. By this time, Lieutenant Miller had no choice but to hold most of the princesses' purchases. He was the lowest ranking guard present. Both Jeb and Captain Bower grinned at him to which he responded with a glare. Both Jeb and Captain Bower knew that if they had not been in the immediate presence of the princesses and if he did not have his arms full the glare would have been a hand gesture instead.

"Hey DG, why don't we head down that way? There's a little girl up there selling something and I want to see what it is," said Azkadellia. DG was still feeling a little hurt from their conversation in the lingerie shop but she said, "Sure Az," She took Az's hand, and then she couldn't help herself. She turned around and mischievously asked Jeb, "Having fun yet?"

Jeb never got out his response.

Time seemed to take on a whole new meaning. It was quick and slow all at the same instant. They all saw the white flash. Then the magic between DG and Azkadellia roared to life and formed around them, Jeb, and Captain Bower. It was a warm translucent blue that would have been considered pretty if had not been the only thing between them and hell. Lieutenant Miller was close but yet so far away. There was no more chaotic din of the city. Only the sounds of death rained upon them. Azkadellia screamed in terror as the rolling black air mixed in with burning embers, debris, and what was left of the crowd hit them. DG screamed out for Azkadellia to hang on and not to let go. Captain Bower dropped to his knees and it was all that Jeb could do to continue standing. Jeb looked off to the side and to his horror realized that Lieutenant Miller was outside the magical sphere. He instinctively went to reach out to him but pulled his hand back. He did not know if he could even break through the sphere or if by doing so, cause it to collapse around them. In less than the blink of an eye Lieutenant Miller was gone.

And then it was over. The sounds of death were replaced by the sounds of the dying.

* * *

Jill was content. She had stuffed herself on the sausage and pepper sandwich and while she still felt a little homesick at least she was no longer hungry.

She had just turned to Cain to ask him about what he and Sergeant Costello talked about when they heard the explosion. It thundered through both of them and then came the debris cloud. Cain grabbed Jill and tackled her to the ground. His arm pushed her head uncomfortably into the asphault. The air rumbled above them and Jill could feel bits of rubble pelt her back. The air was thick with dust and ash and both of them coughed hard.

Then it was over.

Cain helped Jill to her feet. "Are you alright?" She was shaking and her knees felt weak. She had to force herself to speak, "Yeah." She carefully took off her glasses and looked at them. The one side looked a little bent but she thought that it would be okay. She blew off what dust she could from them. Then she tried to brush off most of the ash and dust from herself and continued to cough.

She looked at Cain and saw that he was covered as well. People around them were slowly getting up. Those that could not were being helped. Cain turned to her, "Jill, I have to go to where the explosion happened." He hesitated, "I'm sorry but you're going to have to come along. I can't leave you here alone." She looked at him and just simply nodded.

With that they started to jog through the crowds and debris towards 41st and Main.

* * *

Detective Spencer started to jog through the confusion. Then his jog turned into a flat out run. He couldn't stop. He had to get away from downtown.

He found himself back at the park. It was deserted. He could see the smoke from the explosion in the distance. It was a constant reminder of what just happened. What he just caused to happen.

He sat down in the swing. It was the same swing that Rebecca had been swinging in earlier. He let the tears flow freely.

Her scarf was still balled up in his hand. With his other hand he reached inside his coat pocket and pulled out a picture of his wife and daughters. It was torn and faded; having been taken some years before. As he looked at the picture he knew that they were now safe. He allowed his thoughts to drift once again. He had worked as a Protector for the Father for years. He had fled to Oradour after the protection ring surrounding the Mystic Man broke. Zero not only came after each member, but took advantage of his position to take vengeance on those who were with him in the Academy. He escaped and it was in Oradour that he met his wife. But then the Father dropped his bombshell. The Father rescued Zero. And as He brought him before the Protectors, he cowered in fear. He cared not if Zero killed him out of vengeance, but not his family. He silently damned the Father to hell.

In exchange for his family's safety he agreed to do this one task. Now they would be protected; He would protect them, forever. Never did he realize what ultimate price he would pay. There was no way that he could explain what he had just done out of his love for them. It was better for him to die and never see them again then to live as a monster and feel their hate forever.

He put the picture back inside his coat pocket and took out another one. It was another very old photograph that was torn and faded. But it was of him, Paul Costello, Wyatt Cain, and Dale Corter. Except back then they were not detectives, sergeants, majors, or former solders for the Witch. They were just four guys enrolled in the Academy. He looked at Paul and Wyatt. He never was as strong as they were. He briefly wondered if they would even begin to understand what he had just done out of love for his family. And then there was Dale.

Detective Spencer caught himself. He had not called himself that for a very long time. His name was Zero. He put the picture back in his coat pocket. He reached into the same pocket and pulled out his wedding ring. He had not worn it for a long time. He put it back on his finger.

He stretched out Rebecca's scarf and folded it up carefully. He placed it in another coat pocket. Then he pulled out his hand gun. He stood up off the swing and walked out towards the field. There was still some snow on the ground but by now it had been trampled by all of the children. He sunk to his knees. He uncocked his gun and put it in his mouth. He almost gagged on the taste of cold metal and burnt gunpowder. He took it out of his mouth and shuddered. Had he become such a coward that he couldn't even do this? He swallowed the bile and put the gun back in his mouth again. Then he pulled the trigger.

His blood splattered on to the dirty snow.


	9. Chapter 9, The Aftermath

The Father was in a neighboring village to Oradour. The morning had been spent in various meetings with representatives of the local governments. He knew that when the twin suns were high in the sky the redemptions would be complete. When lunchtime came, he purposely asked for a private room at the inn where the meetings were taking place. He told them that he needed time to meditate and that he could not be disturbed for any reason. He would know when Protector Spencer and the others completed their tasks. That was the benefit and the curse of placing the mark. When it happened, his aides would be alarmed at the sight of him. He reached inside his coat pocket and pulled out a small white handkerchief. He gently unwrapped the handkerchief to expose a few spiny covered leaves. He placed the handkerchief up to his mouth and carefully put some of the leaves into his mouth. They were tough to chew and even harder to swallow. Almost as soon as he swallowed he could feel his throat begin to tighten and then he was unable to speak. When the events unfolded, he did not want to make any sound. He closed the curtains and made sure one more time that the door was locked. Then he undressed, carefully folded his clothes, and laid them on the bed. He was sitting at the desk, reading some papers, when it finally came to pass.

It started as a slight tingling sensation that started at his feet and continued upwards through his body. Then the tingling turned to burning. He found it increasingly hard to breathe and he staggered over to the bed. He grabbed one of the bedposts to steady himself. The burning became more intense and his sweaty palms slipped off the post, causing him to collapse to the floor.

His body convulsed with the shock and agony. The odor of burning flesh filled the room. His eyes rolled back in to his head and his face contorted into a twisted mass of melted flesh. But no sound came out. The leaves he had eaten earlier were working.

His flesh continued to burn, turn black, and fall off until only the bone remained.

Then it was over as soon as it began. His body twitched one final time and then was still. A faint green glow appeared over his body and his flesh reformed on to his bones.

He was on his back and his breath came in haggard gasps. It had been torture, but it was such sweet torture. He smiled as he looked at the ceiling. He knew that the tasks were done, a total of twelve in all throughout the larger cities of the O.Z. It was an announcement that would shake the very foundation of any government, let alone one as fragile as the Queen's.

Then as he continued to look at the ceiling, his breathing finally starting to steady, it happened. A shearing flash of pain ripped through his head and he felt his skull break open. The floor was wet from his blood. He cried out in silent agony. A fleeting image of Protector Spencer flashed through his mind. Then it was it over once again. He realized that Spencer had just committed suicide. Poor soul, he was so loyal, he thought. He then thought of Spencer's wife and his daughters. He told Spencer that he would protect them from Zero and he would. He never went back on his word.

* * *

It seemed like forever but Cain and Jill finally got to the origin of the explosion. The devastation grew worse the closer that they got to it. The air was still heavy with ash and dust. Debris, the wounded, and the dead littered the street.

A few royal guards and Tin Men started to show. Cain hollered and jogged over to them. Jill stayed where she was. It was too much to take in. The glass from the storefronts was blown out and small fires rose everywhere. Cars and carts were flipped over and burning. There were smoldering carcasses of horses nearby and their stench nearly made Jill retch. She willed the bile back down in her throat and saw a pile of victims nearby in the street. She took a parting glance over at Cain. He was gesturing with his hands and barking orders. Once again she willed herself to move and she ran towards the victims.

* * *

Captain Bower was still on his knees, his head lowered. Azkadellia and Deb slowly looked around at the destruction that was all around them. Then the stench of death hit them. DG went to take a few steps but could not. Azkadellia still had a hold of her hand and she had not let it go yet. She continued to squeeze and it began to hurt badly.

"AZ!" DG screamed at her sister. "Please! Please let go of my hand, it's okay now." DG took her other hand and tried to pry Azkadellia's fingers. Azkadellia slowly came out of her shock and released DG's hand. They hugged each tightly.

Then they saw a short distance away a small group of royal guards and Tin Men. Jeb saw them too and he regained some of his composure. He said, "We need to get over there." He saw both the paleness and the weakness in DG and Azkadellia. He was sure that most of it came from the exertion of the magical energy but he knew that seeing all of the destruction was taking its toll as well.

He looked down at Captain Bower. "Captain, get up." Captain Bower refused to move.

"Captain Bower!" Jeb went over and shook his shoulder. Captain Bower ignored him and continued to look at the spot where Lieutenant Miller had been just a few minutes before.

Jeb had seen that reaction before. It was always from the ones that you would least expect it.

"CAPTAIN BOWER!" He finally looked up at Jeb. Jeb stared him straight in the eye and told him, "There will be time later to mourn our friends. It's your duty to protect the princesses……. They need you now."

Captain Bower still did not say anything but he rose and stood at attention. "Captain, help Azkadellia. I'll help DG." Captain Bower offered his arm to Azkadellia and he coaxed her to move. She stumbled then regained her footing. Jeb did the same for DG. He could feel her trembling out of fatigue and out of shock. DG weakly said to him, "Who could have done this?" Jeb looked at her, "I don't know DG, I don't know."

* * *

Jill approached the victims and she felt the bile rise to her throat again. Each one was mangled. There were no survivors. She saw some children and walked over to them. She reached down and gently closed their eyes. She let the tears flow and she took the back of her hand to wipe them away.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard the excruciating scream of a man near by. He was further up the street and he was laid out prone on the asphalt. He screamed again. She quickly walked up to him and stopped about ten feet from him in horror. He continued to scream, begging for anyone, even the gods themselves to help him. She began to shake uncontrollably.

The man who laid in front her had the lower half of body blown away. The rest of him was burnt badly. But somehow the poor bastard stayed alive. He screamed again and Jill could hear the gurgling of his breath.

Jill finally forced herself to move and she knelt down beside him. He batted at her arm and tried to grab it. She took a hold of his hand and held it. His blood splattered on her but that was the least of her worries. "It's going to be okay," she lied. He was hyperventilating but he managed to get out, "Can't….feel….my…. legs…." She looked down once more where they had been and saw the pool of blood forming. She bit her lip and lied again, "You hurt your spine that's why you can't feel your legs." He screamed again and his other arm flailed wildly. She had trouble hanging on to his hand. He stared at her face and even through the burnt flesh she could still tell that he did not believe her. "Liar," He softly told her through his blackened lips.

He screamed and his arm flailed wildly again but he managed to get it under control. He reached inside his coat. He took out his hand gun and flopped it on his chest. "Do it," he hissed.

Jill shook her head no. The tears started to flow again. He convulsed out of the pain again but yet he would not die. "Do it!" he hissed again. His bloodshot eyes implored her, _don't let me die in agony like this._

She released his grip and wiped the tears away. She took his hand gun and rose up. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them again, he had already closed his eyes. For a moment she thought that she would not have to do this, but then she heard his gurgled breath and he twitched. She could tell that he was trying to be still.

She took the safety off and cocked his gun. She closed her one eye and pointed it at his head. She took one last breath and held it so that she would be steady. Then she pulled the trigger. The shot echoed loudly across the downtown and then it was over.

* * *

It took a little while for Jeb, DG, Azkadellia, and Captain Bower to reach the group of royal guards and Tin Men. They walked slowly; partly out of fatigue and partly out of picking their way around the debris.

"Dad!" Jeb yelled over when he recognized Cain shouting orders to those that continued to assemble. Cain looked up and saw the group of them. "Son!," he broke out of the group and quickly crossed the street between them. DG motioned for Jeb to go. Cain and Jeb hugged each other tightly.

Cain then he saw Captain Bower holding up a very pale Azkadellia and DG right behind Jeb. DG too was pale and looked like she was on the verge of collapse. Jeb turned back around and put his arm around DG's waist to support her. DG caught a glimpse of Cain's worried look. He looked sympathetically once more at her and then asked Jeb, "Where were you guys?"

Jeb replied, "Near the blast zone. DG's and Az's magic saved me and Bower, but we lost Miller." Cain could not begin to comprehend how much magic it must have taken to protect all of them but it was a wonder that either of the princesses were still standing.

Cain motioned for another commanding officer that had arrived on the scene to come over. "Major Cain, the Captain, and I are going to get the princesses back to the palace." The new officer nodded and began to yell further orders to the growing number of rescue workers, guards, and Tin Men that were at the scene. It was turning into an informal command center.

Cain was ready to tell Jeb that they had to find where Jill went when they heard a gun shot. They all turned in the direction and off in the distance Cain saw a small pink jacket.

* * *

She knew that it would happen as soon as she fired the gun. Within moments she was surrounded by a mix of royal guards and Tin Men.

"DROP THE GUN!" roared one of them. She turned around slowly and stretched out her right arm. She clicked the safety back on and let the gun dangle from her fingers. The ones that had assembled around her had their guns drawn and pointed at her.

She slowly knelt and placed the gun on the ground. "HANDS ON YOUR HEAD!" yelled another. Then she slowly rose back up and did as she was told. She took a step away from the gun.

Three men from the side rushed her. It took only a moment for them to grab her arms and restrain her in handcuffs. She did not resist. It was only after she was restrained that they saw the horror that was at her feet.

The remaining men lowered their guns and the leader who had told her to drop the gun walked over to the man. He knelt down and Jill thought that he was saying something but it was too low for her to make out.

Cain came running over and came to abrupt halt. He saw Jill in handcuffs and bellowed "What the fuck is going on?!"

Cain recognized the leader, Captain Mahonski, who was kneeling at the man laying in the street. He slowly rose. "Major, it's Lieutenant Miller. That girl shot him….."

Cain furled his brows and stormed over to where Lieutenant Miller was. A momentary look of revulsion and then pity crossed his face. He took his hat off and held it in his hands.

Cain turned and looked around at the other men. They still had their guns drawn but they were pointed at the ground. Some of them murmured to each other and the others turned and looked away. He knew, they all knew, that Jill should be arrested and hauled off to the nearest precinct. That was the law. You did not go around killing people, even out of mercy.

One of Captain Mahonski's men walked over to him and whispered something in his ear. Mahonski nodded and walked over to Jill.

"Maam, did you kill Lieutenant Miller?"

Jill raised her head and straightened her shoulders the best that she could. She spoke quietly, "He was still alive when I found him." She paused, "He asked me twice to end it."

She said nothing more but turned her gaze to where Lieutenant Miller was. She felt the tears well up again but she blinked them away.

One of the men nodded to Captain Mahonski. He told one of the men that had restrained her, "Release her." He then walked over to Cain. "Major, with all due respect, get her the hell out of here. We'll handle it from here."

Cain put his hat back on and took one last look at the men that had assembled. He sighed heavily and then turned to Captain Mahonski and nodded. No further words had to be exchanged. The events of the day continued to spiral downward out of his control.

He then walked over and put his arm around Jill's shoulders and felt her trembling. "Come on Jill, let's go."

They walked in silence back towards where Jeb and the princesses were waiting.


	10. Chapter 10, The Reunion

_Author's note: Thanks to all who have followed along down this path. I knew going in that this story would not be everyone's cup of tea, so I have been pleasantly surprised to see the number of hits that it has gotten. Hopefully I can continue to improve the character and story development and not disappoint any of you._

While Cain was with the group of royal guards and Tin Men in the distance, one of many emergency vehicles came upon the scene. Jeb and Captain Bower helped DG and Azkadellia into one of the trucks. Captain Bower hopped in, and he and Azkadellia moved towards the back, completely uninterested in what was going on around them. DG and Jeb watched as Cain and Jill continued in their direction. He still had his arm around her shoulders.

DG saw the woman with the short brown hair and pink jacket. She moved back out closer to the edge of the truck and said to Jeb, "Who's that with Cain?"

"That's Jill Wilkins." He paused. He silently debated how much more to tell her but knew that she would soon realize from Jill's clothes that she was not from this world. He decided to get it over with. "She's from your side. She was brought here in a travel storm a few days ago."

"What do you mean travel storm? Mother outlawed them." countered DG as she continued to watch. She was tired, but not so tired to not to try to find out who this Jill was and why Cain had his arm around her.

"I know DG. We all know. But someone wanted her here badly enough to launch one after her. After walking over half a day she found our cabin." Jeb continued to look down the street.

"While Cain was there?" she continued to press for information.

Jeb turned to look at her, and found her eyes intently looking at him, "Yeah, while Dad was there. During the morning of the first full day she was there Dad left her alone so that he could get his traps. While he was gone some men broke in to the cabin looking for her."

"How did she get away?" DG's look grew more concerned.

"From what Dad told me she hid in one of the bedrooms. They didn't do a good job looking around inside the cabin." He replied.

Any hint of jealously of seeing Cain with his arm around another woman was replaced with feelings of sympathy. It only took those short few sentences from Jeb to remind her of how she felt when she was first transported to this world. Even the scenario was the same; get thrown into a tornado and let the chase begin. She briefly wondered if this Jill encountered any munchkins with their tiny little minds on the way. "Damn it." She muttered under her breath. "Do you know who was looking for her?" She couldn't believe that it might be remnants of the Witch's Longcoats.

"If you were thinking Longcoats, I don't think so." Jeb answered her silent question. "Not from how Jill described them."

"So she's the reason why that Cain came back early?" she asked.

"Yeah."

By this time Azkadellia had stopped listening to the conversation between DG and Jeb. She started to softly sing, "Two little princesses dancing in a row….Spinning fast and free, on their little toes…..."

"What the heck?" DG turned and looked at her. She crawled from the edge of the truck bed and knelt down in front of her sister.

Azkadellia's eyes were unfocused and she leaned lazily against the side of the truck. As she continued to hum the song that they had sung together as children, before the cave, her head listed from side to side.

DG took her sister's hands in hers, "Az? What's wrong?" DG continued to grow alarmed. She was not sure if Azkadellia's mind snapped again or not. She saw that most of Az's makeup was gone from her face and her scars were clearly visible.

Azkadellia's eyes slowly focused again, "DG? Why are you kneeling in front of me?"

DG bit her lip as she realized that Azkadellia had no idea that her mind had wandered off again. "It's nothing Az. I'm just so thankful that we made it out of there alive."

By this time Cain and Jill reached the truck. Jeb started to ask Cain about what had just transpired, but Cain shook his head no. _Not now, not in front of the princesses_.

* * *

They arrived at the palace which was a buzz with commotion. Glitch was there waiting for them. He ran down the palace steps, two at a time, until he met all of them at the back of the truck.

As Cain and Jeb helped DG get out of the truck he took her into his arms and kissed her passionately. His one hand cradled her head and the other felt down to the small of her back.

It took Cain off guard and he just stood there watching them. Granted, Glitch's writings to him were few, but he had never mentioned that he was in love with DG. He glanced over to his son, Jeb never told him either. Jeb saw his father looking at him and he lowered his head to look at the ground.

Glitch released DG from his kiss but continued to hold her and brush the ash from her hair, "Hey doll, are you okay?" DG raised her hand and gingerly touched his cheek, "Yeah Glitch, I'm tired but I'm okay."

It was then that they realized that Cain was staring at them. DG thought, no knew, that she saw a wave of pain pass over his face. But it was gone as soon as it appeared and his face hardened again. But those blue eyes, they continued to gaze upon the two of them.

The silence that had become uncomfortable was broken by Jeb asking Cain to help him get Azkadellia out. Captain Bower had already climbed out and was standing rather stiffly at the side of the truck. Cain then went to reach for Jill but he wasn't quick enough. She had already jumped down and stood up beside him.

She took one look at Glitch and Cain heard her mutter to herself, "What the hell?" The things that he was going to have to try to talk to her about soon were piling up left and right. "Jill, this is Ambrose. He's one of the Queen's aides."

Glitch looked at Cain with a very confused look. It was only in formal circles that he went by Ambrose. Hearing Cain, his old friend, call him that puzzled him. He pushed those thoughts aside and he released DG. Before Cain's introduction he too saw the surprised look on Jill's face when she took notice of him. It was a look that he had grown accustomed to. He extended his hand to her and smiled, "You can go ahead and call me Glitch for short. Even Cain calls me that." He looked up at his friend but he couldn't read his expression. Cain's face continued to have a hard edge to it and it made his smile fade away. He went back to his place near DG's side again and out of habit put his arm around her waist.

Word had been sent ahead that the princesses were back to the palace and, the Queen, Lord Ahamo, and Dr. Addison rushed down the palace steps.

"Oh DG, my darling" cried out the Queen. She embraced DG and held on to her tightly. She whispered into her ear, "Thank the gods you and Azkadellia are safe." DG whispered back to her, "We're tired but we're all okay Mother." She thought back to Azkadellia humming their song in the back of the truck. She had a pang of guilt lying to her mother but pushed it aside as her father, Lord Ahamo hugged her as well.

The Queen then turned her attention to her other daughter, "Oh Az," and she brushed the dirt from her hair and hugged her closely as well. Azkadellia said nothing though. She smiled but her eyes were unfocused again and they looked far off in the distance. The Queen pulled back but kept her hands on her shoulders, "Azkadellia, are you all right?" She took a closer look at her face and saw too that some of the makeup that had covered her scars was gone. Azkadellia's eyes slowly focused again, and she replied, "Of course, Mother, never been better." Dr. Addison then took her from her mother's grip and held her steady. She looked up at him and smiled but said nothing. The Queen continued to look at both of them and Dr. Addison said in his low silky voice that bordered on condescending, "My Queen, as you can see, Azkadellia is exhausted and is not herself. She needs to rest." His gaze unflinchingly met hers. She pressed her lips together and raised her shoulders a little higher, "But of course, Dr. Addison. I am very well aware of that." _How dare he use that voice with me?_

The Queen and Lord Ahamo's interest then turned to Cain, Jeb, and Jill. She eyed Jill warily and directed her question to Cain, "Major, who is this?"

"That is Jill Wilkins, ma'am. She's an outworlder who was brought here in a travel storm." He paused, trying to see what the Queen's reaction was going to be. "She found our cabin and it was there that some men appeared and attempted to kidnap her. I brought her here to the city to find out why."

The Queen's face furled with dismay. She had specifically outlawed travel storms due to the enormous amount of contraband being transferred from that world to this one. They had attempted to keep the reasons quiet so that the populace would not be alarmed. The contraband was not only trinkets, small electronic devices, and other junk, but entire caches of weapons and other machinery. Then upon advisement from Dr. Addison she decreed that all outworlders would be registered. It was to track whether the contraband went from weapons to human trafficking. Looking at Jill standing before her, she saw that it had. It was also then that she realized that she had no choice but to tell them what else had been going on. If it had been any other men standing before her she would have stated the standard "thank you and you are dismissed". But this was Wyatt and Jeb Cain standing before her. It would be pointless to try to hide the truth from them.

After hearing Cain's introduction of Jill to the Queen, Dr. Addison could not contain his excitement. He released Azkadellia and marched in front of the Queen. Before she or Lord Ahamo could say anything he extended his hand to Jill and said in his low silky voice again, "Miss Wilkins, please allow me to introduce myself. I am Dr. Xavier Addison, of the Royal Academy of Sciences, Principal Advisor to the Queen." In the background Glitch stood up a little straighter and he bristled with a tad bit of anger. It always irritated him when Dr. Addison introduced himself like that.

Jill extended her hand and Dr. Addison grasped it eagerly. She tried to pull her hand away without making a scene but Dr. Addison would not let it go. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Cain start to scowl. Dr. Addison seemed undeterred though. "Please allow me to extend my sympathies to you. I certainly have not heard your entire tale, but already it appears that you have had a troubling journey." He took his other hand and enclosed it around hers. "If I can be of assistance in any way, any way at all, please let me know." He held on to her hand a moment longer and then finally let her go. It took everything she had to remain calm and mind her manners, "Thank you Dr. Addison."

_What a pompous ass, _Jill thought to herself as she continued to give him the once over. He was dressed in dark blue formal royal attire, complete with gold trim. He had a dark blue cloak to match and wore black leather gloves. He was certainly older than any of them by the look of his salt and pepper hair. He wore it long and slicked back and it exposed a strange red mark near his right temple.

The Queen gave Dr. Addison an infuriating look, "Dr. Addison, thank you for offering your services to Ms. Wilkins. I am quite sure that she will let you know if she needs your assistance." Dr. Addison met her steely glare, and only slightly bowed his head in acknowledgment. He went to resume his place at Azkadellia's side but Lord Ahamo was already there, with his arm protectively over Az's shoulders. His green eyes narrowed and he turned back to the Queen, "If you will excuse me. Obviously, with what has transpired, I have many matters to attend to." Without waiting for a response he took one last parting glance at both Jill and Azkadellia and then quickly traversed the steps back into the palace.

Through all of this Captain Bower stood stiff and silent near the back of the truck. Jeb had been watching him the entire time and grew increasingly concerned about him. He was older than Lieutenant Miller and had taken the young man under his wing. At the very least, he figured that he had better get him back to the barracks. There would be people there to help him.

"Captain Bower." He said over to him, and the Captain's head snapped to attention. "Let's get back to the barracks to see what's going on." As he passed by his father, Cain said to him, "Son, be careful," and placed his hand on his shoulder. Jeb stopped and acknowledged him, "I will Dad."

By this time, Lord Ahamo looked over at his wife, read her face, and then asked Glitch, "Will you follow me and see to it that DG gets back to her chambers? I'm going to help Az."

"But of course sir," he replied. As they retreated up the palace steps, DG could not help but look over her shoulder and take one last look at Cain and Jill standing next to her mother. She bit her lip and quickly looked away. The rest of her questions would have to wait until later.

The Queen watched her daughters walk out of earshot, and then said to Cain, "Take Jill to one of our visitor's chambers and one of the chambermaids can help her to clean up." The blood that had splattered on to Jill from Lieutenant Miller's wounds had not gone unnoticed by her. "We will all need to talk later, before the evening is through," she said simply. "I will send for you when I am ready."

And with that one of many couriers that had been rushing in and out of the palace came to see her. She opened the message he handed to her, and she let out a small gasp. She told the courier, "Send for General Turnbaugh and have him report to the ready room immediately." Cain heard her gasp and gave her a concerned look. She sighed deeply, "There are reports from the other cities that they have experienced attacks as well." She then turned and quickly went up the palace steps.

And with that Cain and Jill found themselves left alone. He looked sympathetically at her, "Let's get you cleaned up." He started to walk up the steps, and Jill called after him. "Wyatt?"

He stopped. It was not often that someone used his first name.

With a tired voice she said, "I crossed that line, didn't I?"

He knew what she was referring to. It was in regards to Lieutenant Miller. It was a line that nice people like her should never have to cross in their life. It did not matter what world they were from.

He turned, and looked back at her with a hint of sadness in his eyes, "You did….and once you do, there's no going back."


	11. Chapter 11, The Balcony

Dusk fell and twilight began over the O.Z. By this time rumors about the attacks started to spread from city to city and village to village.

Zero and Lieutenant Lundgren's men had made a simple camp outside of a small village for a few hours of rest. Even with the arrangements of having fresh horses ready twice a day it was still going to take them three more days to reach Calvert. Then the ride from Calvert to Central City would be a few more hours on top of that.

The men had been talking about the attacks but their chatter grew silent as Zero walked past them. His reputation was legendary and it left them in both awe and fear.

Zero paid them no attention and entered Lundgren's tent. Lundgren was sitting on a small upturned log, using it as a stool. He was looking down at a map, one that showed Central City and the other large cities in the O.Z. It was Zero's and he had drawn circles around the cities that were to be attacked. Without looking up he said to Zero, "The Father only told me about Central City's attack. He never said anything about the other ones."

Zero looked down at him, "There was no reason to tell you about the other cities. It wasn't your mission." He then reached inside his coat and pulled out an envelope. "Go read this to your men. It's a message from the Father if the attacks on the cities were successful."

Lundgren stood up and took the envelope from Zero. He opened and read it. With a sarcastic smirk, he asked Zero, "You're not going to come out and celebrate with me and my men?"

Zero's eyes just narrowed. Lundgren snorted and left the tent, leaving Zero alone in silence. "The little boy might grow a set of balls yet," he said to himself.

Zero opened his pack and took out a flask. He took a long swig out of it. Then he sat down on the log and began to eat his supper. He lifted up a metal spoon, stared at it, and then twirled it between his fingers. To no one in particular he quietly said, "Soon you little fucking bastard."

* * *

Evening came and the Queen had not yet summoned him for their meeting. Cain did not expect her to; not after learning that there were more attacks in the other larger cities.

He continued to stare out in to the distance. He was near the visitor's chambers, standing out on one of the balconies. The fires from the explosion lit up the night sky and the occasional siren broke the silence. The rest of the city was unusually quiet, as though it was in mourning.

He heard footsteps behind him and he instinctively reached for his gun.

"It's just me Cain," DG said.

He dropped his hand back down and let it rest on the railing.

"Hey there princess." It was a line that he had not said in a very long time.

She walked up beside him and looked out over the distance. "I never thought that this would ever happen here."

Cain turned and looked at her. She was dressed in dark green flannel pajamas and had a large blanket wrapped around her. Cain replied, "Yeah, I know what you mean," and he turned back to look out over the city. It had never been attacked, even under the Witch's reign.

"I stopped by to see how Jill was doing and Elsie, the chambermaid, wouldn't let me in," she tried to smile as she said it. "You know how motherly Elsie can be sometimes." She paused, "I was on my way back to my room when I saw you standing out here."

Cain continued to look out in the distance, and said softly, "Jill doesn't want to see anyone right now."

"She's probably just tired, that's all." DG said. Even though she had not talked to him in over a year, she still could tell when something was troubling him. That was the easy part. Getting him to talk about it had always been a different story.

There was a long silence between them. Sirens sounding off in the distance broke it. She asked him, "Cain, what happened back there?"

DG saw him grip the railing a little harder. She added, "Cain, we all saw the blood on Jill's jacket."

Without turning to look at her he finally replied, "She did a mercy killing."

DG gasped. "A what?"

He continued to look at the city skyline, refusing to look at her. "I left her alone and she ran off to help some victims. There was a lieutenant who was burnt badly and his legs were blown off." He heard DG take in another sharp breath. "But he was still alive. He begged her to end his life and she did." He stopped and then added, "That was the gunshot that you heard."

"Jesus Christ," She muttered under her breath. During the past year she had defended and protected Az; but she never had to kill to do it. Then she involuntarily shivered; the winter chill was starting to seep through her blanket.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw her draw her blanket around her closer. "You had better get back inside where it's warmer. Otherwise you'll catch a cold."

She looked at him, and reached out her hand. She laid it on top of his. He did not pull his hand away, but he did not turn to look at her either. "Cain, I'm sure that she's okay. Elsie will make sure that she gets some sleep." She hesitated, "Then you can try talking to her again tomorrow morning. Besides we all could do with some rest." She left her hand linger a moment longer on his and then pulled it away.

He said nothing and they both continued to stare out over the city. She turned to walk away and it was Cain's turn to ask, "DG….. why is Az's face scarred?"

She stopped and drew the blanket even closer around her. He was still looking out over the city. _I guess it's my turn._

She took a step back closer to him. "After you left," her voice broke unexpectedly and she caught herself. She recalled the memory of the day that Cain walked out of her life. She swallowed and started over again, "After you left, Az broke down. She couldn't handle what was going on." She paused as she thought back to those terrible days. "Everywhere, people hated her, even from within the palace." With a sigh she went on, "There were riots and assassination attempts. Mother and Father had to forbid her from going outside the palace." She stopped as another siren sounded; then she continued. "Then she started having the nightmares that the Witch was still inside her. It became real to her." She stopped again and Cain turned to look at her. His blue eyes reflected the moonlight. She had to bite her lip in order to keep her composure. "One day I found her on her knees in the main throne room. She was raking her nails down her face, screaming for the Witch to get out of her." DG's voice started to tremble, "Cain, I had to use my magic against her. I had to stop her from hurting herself any more." Tears started to stream down her face because she could not hold them back any longer. "I sent her flying across the room and she landed against the far wall." He looked down at her compassionately and she shook her head, "I used too much magic. She hit the wall so hard she ended up with a concussion and she broke her wrist and some of her ribs." The tears continued to stream down her face and she took another step closer to him. Cain hesitated and then put his hands on her shoulders. He did not want to come any closer to him. _No, you can't, it's her and Glitch now. _"DG, you had to do what you had to do. Az was destroying herself."

DG simply nodded her head yes. She knew that Cain was holding back. She couldn't blame him.

She took an edge of her blanket and wiped some of the tears away. "That's when Dr. Addison came. Mother and Father had to do something and he just showed up from the Royal Academy."

Cain's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean by he just showed up?"

"I don't know. He just did the one day. He went through the normal channels and asked for an audience with both Mother and Father." She took the edge of the blanket and finished wiping away a few stray tears. "The next thing I know Mother and Father told me that he would be giving psych help to Az."

She read his face and saw that same suspicious expression he always had around strangers. She suddenly felt defensive. "Look Cain, he has helped Az a lot. She still has her good days and bad days; but each day she gets more like her old self." She paused and then thought to hell with it, "Besides, it wasn't like you were around to give your seal of approval."

Instead of seeing anger she saw a look of hurt pass over Cain's face. All he said was, "I'm sorry DG. I didn't mean to second-guess you……I'm glad to hear that Az is doing better." His gut told him that he was lying to himself; that Dr. Addison's appearance was too coincidental. He ignored it, at least for now.

She involuntarily shivered again. She had forgotten how cold she had been getting earlier. Her shivering was evident and he told her once again, "You better get inside."

"Yeah I guess you're right." She instinctively knew with that change of subject he wouldn't be talking the rest of the night. She took one last look at the city and then turned and walked away. She paused in the doorway and looked back at him. He had been watching her. Seeing him standing there in his hat and long winter duster made her think back to the old days.

"Cain?"

A moment passed before he answered, "Yeah, DG?"

"I'm glad that you're back."

He continued to look at her. She hoped that he would say something, anything, but he did not. All he did was nod. She sighed and went back inside.

Cain heard her footsteps go away and then turned to look back over the city. _DG, I don't know if I am or not_.

* * *

Morning finally came and the twin suns began to illuminate Central City.

Dr. Addison was already in his private office, looking out over the city, when his mark began to tingle and then burn. He staggered over to his desk and sat down with his head in his hands. The Father's voice entered his mind, "As I read your thoughts Xavier I see that the princess was in danger. Why did you let her go?"

The mark burned harder and Dr. Addison silently responded back, "Father, I did not know that they were shopping in the downtown district. She told me that they were going to go to the east side."

"FOOL!," roared the Father. Dr. Addison tumbled onto the floor and curled up. Tears came to his eyes and he brought his arm up to his mouth to try to stifle his cries of pain.

The Father continued, "Out of your ignorance she could have been killed." There was a long pause and in Dr. Addison's mind flashed images of him meeting Jill. The images flashed by faster and faster; so fast it started to make him nauseous. "So that is my Daughter, my precious, precious Daughter," said the Father. "At least you have done something to please me." The only thing that Dr. Addison could do was to mumble in acknowledgment. The pain was too great to do much of anything else.

There was a long pause and the pain from the mark subsided slightly. "You will need to get my Daughter out of the palace; out of the reach of the Tin Man." The Father's voice lingered a bit. "Lieutenant Lundgren and his men are on their way. Once they arrive they will escort you, the princess, and my Daughter."

Dr. Addison sat up against his desk. The mark still throbbed but at least he could move. "What about the Tin Man's son?" he asked.

There was a short pause, "You will not have to worry about him. General Zero will take care of it."

"General Zero?" gasped Dr. Addison. "He's coming here?"

"Yes, Xavier. General Zero is accompanying Lieutenant Lundgren. Think of it as an insurance policy."

Dr. Addison hastily replied, "Of course my Father. How soon do you believe that the lieutenant will arrive?"

"In three or four days time," responded the Father. "And Xavier, do not disappoint me again." The mark flared and Dr. Addison cried out in pain. And then it was over. He breathed heavily and he reached in his vest pocket for a handkerchief to mop the sweat from his forehead.

There was a knock on the door. "Just a moment," cried out Dr. Addison. He quickly mopped the rest of the sweat from his face and threw the handkerchief in to the waste basket. "Come in!"

The door opened, and Petey Staggart stood before him. "Mornin' Dr. Addison. I didn't know if you would be in yet or not."

"Come in Petey. Today is an early day for me," Dr. Addison replied.

"I don't have time to stay considering what happened downtown. But I needed to give you this." Petey handed a large envelope to Dr. Addison.

Dr. Addison smiled. The thoughts of the Father torturing left his mind. "Why thank you, Petey. You just made my day."

* * *

Jill had been invited to breakfast with DG and Glitch. Elsie had laid out some clothes for her the night before. They consisted of a simple long dark blue dress, with matching dark hosiery, and an ivory wool shawl. She took it as a not-so-subtle hint that her current attire was not suitable for the palace.

As she was getting dressed, Elsie reappeared, practically flying through the door. She was an older lady with her gray hair pulled up tightly into a bun. She wore a proper black and white maid's outfit. "Come, come, my dear. Hurry up. Princess Dorothy and Ambrose are waiting for you."

Elsie gasped and stopped dead in her tracks. She saw the remnants of the broken mirror, and the bedside lamp knocked onto the floor. The contents of the dresser shelf were heaped up on a little pile on the floor and the smell of perfume remained in the air. "By the gods my dear! What happened here?!" Elsie asked incredulously.

Jill's miserable look said it all, "I'm sorry for creating the mess Elsie. I lost my temper last night."

"Oh." Elsie looked a little confused and little frightened all at the same time. She swallowed hard and then regained her composure. "I'll summon some of the other chambermaids to finish cleaning up the mess. Come, I'll take you downstairs. They're waiting for you."

Jill followed Elsie out the door and stayed a step behind her. Her thoughts drifted back to the night before. Cain had stopped by to talk to her and she blew him off. She was angry at her world, his world, and everything that had happened to her these past five days. After Elsie left she tried to leave her room but the guard stopped her. It was then that she took her anger out on the contents of her chamber. By now though, the anger was gone and replaced by sadness and shame. Her thoughts drifted to Craig. He would have been appalled by her current behavior.

By this time they arrived at a small, private dining hall. DG and Glitch were seated at a far table. When they entered the room, Glitch smiled broadly and waved them over.

As Glitch greeted Jill, Elsie pulled DG aside and whispered in her ear. Her eyebrows shot up in surprise. Elsie excused herself, and DG said, "Good morning Jill." Then she cautiously asked, "How are you feeling this morning?"

Elsie reappeared as they were finishing breakfast. She handed a small envelope to Glitch. He opened it up and smiled in his typical fashion. DG finished off her coffee and asked, "What is it?"

"It's a note from Cain." He started to summarize what he wrote. "He wants me to escort Jill for most of the day since he has to go to work." He continued reading and then his smile faded away. He put the note down on the table and then smiled again. He looked over at Jill, "Well, it looks like it's me and you for the day. Cain wants me to show you the palace and the grounds. There's all sorts of stuff I can show you." He stood up from the table and asked Jill, "Are you ready?"

Jill took a deep breath and then stood up. She resigned herself to being sightseer for the day, "Lead away Glitch."

Glitch went over, placed his hand gently on DG's shoulder, and gave her a peck on the cheek. "You don't mind doll, do you?"

"Oh. Of course not Glitch. I was going to go see how Az was doing anyway. I'll meet up with you two at lunch." She replied as her hand touched his.

After she watched them leave the dining area, she picked up the note that Glitch left behind. She unfolded it and began to read.

_Glitch,_

_I need to return to work and take care of some business. I'll try to be back to the palace by evening. Please escort Jill and show her around the palace. If you do go out on the grounds, get a guard. And don't go any farther than the stables. If anything happens, whatever you do, don't leave the palace. I'll get there as soon as I can._

_-- Cain_

DG read the paragraph a few more times. No matter how many times she read it, the message did not change. "Oh Cain," DG muttered to herself. _What do you think is going on?_


	12. Chapter 12, Cookies Anyone?

Cain arrived at the 9th Street Precinct. There were three armed guards at the door frisking everyone who entered. The one guard recognized him but he still stopped him. "I'm sorry Major, but orders are orders." He made sure that Cain had no other weapon other than his licensed handgun and then left him through. He bypassed the reception desk and went straight to the elevator. He pushed the button for the fourth floor. After a short ride he made a left and headed straight to Sergeant Costello's office.

He knocked on the office door and a familiar deep voice echoed from inside, "Come in."

Cain entered and saw his old friend sitting at his desk. Sergeant Costello looked up at him and said, "Mornin' Cain," and then went back to signing off on some paperwork.

Cain took off his hat and sat down in the visitor's chair across from the desk. He saw the dark circles under Costello's eyes and wondered if he had been home at all to see his family. "You look like hell," he told him.

Costello looked up at Cain and smirked. He looked as tired as he felt. "You don't look so hot yourself, honey." And then he went back to his paperwork.

Cain smiled briefly and then his expression became serious again. "I got your message."

Costello stopped what he was doing and put his pen down. "It's about Detective Spencer." Cain continued to look at him, his blue eyes pale in the morning sunlight. "He committed suicide yesterday afternoon."

An expression of shock crossed Cain's face. "What do you mean he committed suicide? He'd never do anything like that."

"You and me both," Costello replied. "But he did. He was found in one of the parks by a patrol." He paused, "He used his gun."

_That sounds too violent for him_. Cain asked, "What about that girl he was watching?"

"Rebecca? No one can find her." Costello replied dryly. "We already checked out her school and talked to everyone that might have known her. They all saw her before the attack but not since. Out of normal procedure we put her on the missing child list."

For a moment, neither said anything. Then Costello added, "I bet you can't guess the little surprise Spencer left behind either."

Cain shrugged his shoulders, "Probably not at this point."

"He was married," replied Costello rather matter-of-factly.

"Come again?," asked Cain incredulously.

"We found him wearing a wedding ring Cain." Costello read the disbelief on his face but said nothing more.

Cain looked down at his hat and fiddled with it. He only saw Spencer once or twice since he had been back and even then the meetings were just passing hellos in the hallway. He felt sick on his stomach. He wished he had said more to him. Out of the four of them he was always the sensitive one.

Costello opened a desk drawer and took out a picture. "Cain." At the mention of his name he looked up. Costello shoved the picture his way. Cain reached over and picked it up to look at it.

"That was found on him." Costello reached into the same drawer and pulled out a child's scarf. "Along with this." He tossed it over to Cain who caught it with one hand.

Cain cocked his head slightly and asked, "Is this his family?"

"We're guessing so. Rebecca's not in the picture so we don't know if he was telling the truth or not about their relationship."

Cain sighed. "He never gave any indication that he was in any trouble?"

Costello saw the downward turn in his friend's eyes. "No, he didn't."

Cain did not say anything. He continued to gaze into the picture. His family was smiling broadly for the camera. _Spencer, if you were in trouble, why couldn't you let us know?_

Costello's voice brought his attention back. "Spencer's apartment was already checked out by some of the other detectives. But I want you to come with me to take another look."

Cain wearily stood up. He looked out the window and felt the heat from the morning suns. He let his guilty thoughts about Spencer drift to Jill. He hoped that Glitch was keeping her occupied for at least a few hours. He knew that he would make it an interesting day; just because he was Glitch. But then again, this was Glitch. He did not want to leave Jill alone but he did not have much choice either. Duty called… yet again.

He heard the squeak of a chair and knew that Costello got up. "So, are you going to come along?"

Cain turned and said, "Yeah, let's get going."

Jeb briskly walked the downtown streets. Fortunately Samantha's father's business was unaffected by the explosion. It was a few blocks to the east of 41st and Main.

It was only a few more minutes until he reached the store. He opened the door and a polite jingle announced his presence. Both Samantha and her father, John, waved briefly to him. They were both busy with customers.

Samantha was showing a recently engaged couple the different types of wedding rings when out of the corner of her eye she saw him take out his pocket watch to look at the time.

"If you would excuse me, I need to meet with someone for a few moments. Why don't you continue looking and I will return in just a few minutes," she asked the couple. The gentleman nodded for her to go on ahead and she quickly walked over to Jeb.

He took her hands in his and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. "I don't have much time but I wanted to see you. How are you and your parents doing?"

"Obviously they're shaken up like everyone else is. But we're all doing okay", she replied. She brushed her hand alongside his cheek and felt the stubble. "How many days are you scheduled for?"

"I don't know yet. Everyone's to report and stay in the barracks until further notice." He paused, "And yeah, I know, I need to shave before I report again." He breathed in her sweet floral perfume, trying to memorize the scent. He knew that it would be awhile until he smelled it again.

"Oh, here." He reached his arm over to the counter and gave her a small brown bag. She took it and looked inside. In his most royal formal voice he announced, "Crumpets my dear lady."

Samantha laughed and hit him lightly on the arm. "Stop it, Jeb."

She looked over at her customers and saw that they had stopped looking at the rings. "I need to get going. Call or stop by when you get the chance," she told him.

"I will," Jeb replied. He took another deep breath and held it, letting her sweet perfume linger in him once last time.

He gave her one last peck on the cheek and turned to walk away. As the door jingled, she called after him, "Jeb." He stopped and looked at her. "Be careful," she told him. The look of concern was heavy on her face.

"Don't worry, I will," he said as he smiled and went out the door.

As he walked down the street he looked around. The streets did not look as busy and people rushed to their destinations. The whole attitude of the city had changed. Without thinking his hand drifted to his side, checking to make sure his gun was still in its place and he continued down the street.

Detective Spencer's apartment was located in a modest neighborhood with tree lined streets and white picket fences. It was near the park where his body was found. The apartment was the converted second floor of a large old house with an old-fashioned wrap-around porch. The elderly landlady, Mrs. Jeirles, was shocked when she first heard the news of Detective Spencer's death. The detectives who showed up on her doorstep, out of respect, only stated that he passed away. There was no need to tell her the gory details.

Sergeant Costello and Cain walked up the porch steps and knocked on the door. There was no answer, and Costello knocked again, this time a little louder.

They heard movement and the door opened slightly. The chain from the lock prevented the door from opening any further. Through the crack they could see a very short white haired woman. "Yes?," she asked in a soft spoken voice that cracked with the years of a long life.

"Mrs. Jeirles, this is Sergeant Costello from the 9th Street Precinct and Major Cain from the Royal Guards."

"Oh.", she replied with a little surprise. "Wait one moment."

They heard the unlocking of the chain and the door squeaked open. Standing in the doorway stood Mrs. Jeirles. She was very petite and her white hair was tied up in a bun. She wore a plain dark gray dress with a flowered half-apron. She used the apron to wipe the flour from her hands. The smell of warm baked goods drifted from the kitchen onto the porch. She had been baking cookies; like anyone's grandmother would.

Sergeant Costello spoke again. "We're sorry for disturbing you Mrs. Jeirles. But the major and I would like to examine Detective Spencer's apartment."

"Oh," replied Mrs. Jeirles again. "I don't understand why the police are so interested in Detective Spencer and Rebecca's apartment. I'll need to get the key…… Why don't you boys come inside and have a cookie?" She turned and shuffled away in to the kitchen, leaving the front door wide open.

Cain grinned from ear to ear, and with a wide sweeping gesture said, "After you. Oh, and be sure to save me a sugar one." Costello rolled his eyes at him as he stepped through the doorway.

They politely ate the cookies that Mrs. Jeirles offered to them and then Sergeant Costello reminded her about the key to the apartment. She reached into her apron pocket and handed it to him. "Just follow the outside stair case up to the apartment," she told them.

The apartment was cold. The heat had been turned off and the curtains were drawn shut. Cain walked over to a window and let the morning sunlight fill the room. The apartment was in perfect order. It was in disturbingly perfect order.

"This is odd." Cain said to Costello as he walked through the living room into the kitchen. "Spencer was always a neat freak but this goes way beyond him." He opened the refrigerator. There was a small bottle of milk. That was it.

Costello stood in the entranceway with his arms folded. "The detectives saw that too. The only other thing they found was a box of kids' cereal. It was like he fed Rebecca her last meal."

Cain shook his head as he continued to look around and open cupboard doors. "Do you think that he killed her before doing himself?"

Costello paused. "The old Spencer never would have. And I don't think he did now either."

Costello moved out of Cain's way and they both walked into Rebecca's bedroom. There were many dolls on her bed. Cain walked over and picked one up. It had long curly black hair and blue eyes. He briefly wondered if that was what DG looked like when she was little and then he pushed the thought from his mind. He looked through her closet and dresser drawers but found nothing more than clothes and toys. Like the kitchen, there was nothing to arouse any suspicion.

Then they went into Detective Spencer's bedroom. Cain walked over to the dresser and found a picture. It was from the Academy. As he held it in his hand Costello said, "Yeah, one of the detectives asked about that picture. I only told him that the four of us went to the Academy together but that Dale passed away a long time ago."

Cain did not say anything. He stared at it for another moment and then went to put it back on the dresser. He stopped and pulled the picture in for a closer look. "Paul, did you actually look at this picture?," he asked.

"No I didn't. Why?" Costello answered with a shrug.

Cain held the picture up and motioned for him to come over and see. "Remember Dreisher Hall?"

"Yeah," replied Costello as he looked over Cain's shoulder.

"Remember where we were?" Cain asked and turned his head around to see Costello nod his head. He turned to look again at the picture and he pointed out Dreisher Hall. "When we faced the camera, Dreisher Hall was on our left. So the guy taking the picture would have seen Dreisher Hall to his right. But here in the picture Dreisher Hall is on the left."

"Huh," was the best response that Costello could come up with.

Cain looked at the frame a little closer. He flipped it around and tried to open the back. It would not come open. He looked away and smashed the frame hard against the dresser. He carefully picked the rest of the glass out of it and carefully took out the picture. He flipped it over. No names or dates were written on the back. There was only a symbol. It was the letter Z on its side with a vertical line down through it.

Costello looked at the symbol. After a moment he said, "Petey had that same symbol on his desk. It was mixed in with all of his trinkets from the other world."

"Oh yeah? Jill recognized this same symbol too. She couldn't remember where she had seen it before but it's on the Wolfsangel Tavern sign."

Cain put the picture in his coat pocket. Costello raised an eyebrow and asked him, "You know that's evidence don't you?"

"And your point is?," Cain replied. He continued looking around the room when something caught his eye behind the nightstand. He went over and reached his hand between the wall and the nightstand. He pulled out a small block of a gray putty-like substance. Some sort of metal flakes had been mixed in with it though. The flakes sparkled as Cain turned the block around in the sunlight.

He stood up and Costello walked over closer to him again. "That looks like the same stuff we found in the bathroom."

"What is it?" Cain asked.

"We don't know. No one could identify it at the Precinct and when we asked for help from the Royal Academy, they confiscated it. We can't get an answer or even an acknowledgment from anyone over there."

Cain held the block of putty up to the window some more. Without thinking he said, "I know someone who might be able to tell us what it is."

Costello read his thoughts, "You're talking about that Jill again aren't you?"

Cain was silent; instantly regretting what he just said aloud. He knew what was going to come next.

"Are all secretaries also alchemists in her world?" Costello asked as he folded his arms again.

Cain did not answer him. He brushed past Costello a little hard and went to the other side of the bed. He looked for more blocks of the putty-like substance.

"Cain, you know as much as I do that there's more to her than she's lettin' on." Cain continued to ignore him.

"The old Cain would've had her in the interrogation room under a spotlight in the blink of an eye." Costello continued to press on.

Cain looked up at his old friend, his expression stone cold, "I'm not that old Cain anymore,…… and you're not that old Costello either," he snapped back.

Costello snorted. "That may be so. But you got a job to do too."

Cain stormed out of the bedroom and went back into the living room. He walked over to the window and stared out in to the street. A group of boys pedaled past on their bicycles.

Costello followed him but stayed back towards the apartment door. "Did you tell her about what we talked about the other day in my office?"

Cain's eyes narrowed, "No. I haven't gotten a chance to yet."

Costello hissed. "What do you mean, _not yet_? I can't believe that you were even considering it."

Cain remained silent.

"She's a total stranger and you were going to tell her about my suspicions that there are inside jobs going on? That there's something bigger going down? " He paused to catch his breath. "Do you have any fucking clue that we found caches of weapons? Big weapons too, and that the palace has been covering it up?"

Cain continued to stare out the window; his fist slowly clenching together.

"For all you know she's part of it and wouldn't think twice of snitching us out." He paused again and his face furled in anger, "Maybe she already has…. And to think that you left her in the palace."

Cain angrily turned around and snarled. "She's not a snitch." But he knew that he did not have any proof of that and no amount of talk was going to convince Costello otherwise.

Costello stared back at Cain, his eyes burning and his face hard. "You got a thing for her, don't you?," he said accusingly. "Why else would you continue to protect her?"

Cain's voice dropped a level, "You can't stand there and tell me that if someone showed up on your doorstep with nothing but the clothes on their back that you wouldn't help them."

Costello took a side step to move in front of the apartment door and crossed his arms. "I'd help them alright. But I swear to the gods if they were dressed in those _other_ clothes I would've hauled their ass to the nearest precinct. You of all people should understand that."

"I already lost my heart once while I was locked up in that fucking suit and I'm not going to lose it again," Cain replied heatedly. "If someone needs help, _outworlder or not_, I'm going to help 'em."

Costello's eyes burned in to his. He finally left the subject drop but not before he got in his last barb, "You're a god damned fool Wyatt and it's going to get you killed yet." He opened the apartment door and growled, "Anything else you want to look at?"

Cain did not immediately respond. He took one final look around the living room and said, "No, there isn't. Spencer knew we'd come here." He put his hand in his pocket to make sure that he still had the picture. He had no intention of giving it to Costello.

They left the apartment and while Costello gave the key back to Mrs. Jeirles, Cain waited in the squad car. She offered him some more cookies but he politely declined and left.

From her living room window she watched him get into the squad car. After they left she started to walk towards the kitchen and then stopped.

She looked down at the floor as she raised her arms to the ceiling. Her body began to tremble and then it morphed. What once was a petite old woman was now a young, tall slender woman with pale green skin. She shook her head and her red hair tumbled down her waist. She took her hand and ran it through her hair. In a high sing-song voice she said to herself, "That's so much better." She marched in to the kitchen and began to eat some of the cookies that she had just made. Morphing always made her hungry.


	13. Chapter 13, Girl Talk

Chapter 13, "Girl Talk"

* * *

Sergeant Costello and Cain rode in silence. It was broken only when Costello bluntly asked Cain where he wanted to be dropped off.

After a few more short minutes, Costello pulled up to the gate that led to the barracks. Cain opened the car door, got out, and was ready to shut the door when Costello called after him, "Cain... Wait."

Cain hesitated and looked out across the street. It was busy with various guard units coming and going, delivery trucks, and other vehicular traffic. He bent over and looked inside the car.

"Here, take this." said Costello. In his outstretched hand he held both the block of putty and a small piece of folded paper. Cain took them and put the putty in his coat pocket. He then opened up the paper and saw the letters RDX. "That was written on one of the putty wrappers. I jotted it down before I turned them over to the Royal Academy." For a moment, he looked straight ahead through the windshield and gripped the steering wheel a little harder. He then turned back to Cain and said, "Maybe Jill does know what it means."

Cain looked at his old friend. The stone cold expression that had followed him from Spencer's apartment softened. "Thanks Paul."

Costello's eyes narrowed and he growled. "Watch your back. You know as well as I do that this is just the beginning."

"I know….. you too." Cain replied.

Costello simply grunted. And with that Cain shut the door and turned to check in at the gatehouse. Costello watched him go. _By the gods Wyatt I hope you're right._

He then put the squad car in to gear, pulled out in to the traffic, and headed back to the precinct.

* * *

After leaving the private dining hall, DG did not immediately go to Az's chamber. She instead went to check on Jill's chamber. She wanted to make sure that the chambermaids were able to put it back in to order and that nothing else was amiss. Even though Elsie did her best to maintain her composure she could tell that the sight had still upset her.

The chamber door was open and Elsie was busy directing two younger chambermaids. "Elsie?" asked DG as she stood in the doorway. "Is it okay to come in?"

Elsie turned and quickly walked over to the doorway, "Of course my dear. Meredith and Kyra have worked very hard to tidy things back up." She reached her hands out to DG and motioned for her to come further in to the chamber.

True to Elsie's word, nearly everything was back in order. "Mr. Glucksman is already here replacing the mirror." At the mention of his name, the elderly Mr. Glucksman turned to look at DG, merely tipped his cap, and proceeded to go back to work. Elsie continued, "And a new lamp is on its way from the storeroom as well."

DG saw a pile of clothes in the corner. Jill's pink jacket was on top. "Elsie? Can we get Jill's clothes washed too?"

Elsie turned to look where DG was looking. "Yes my dear. We can take care of that too." She quickly walked over and picked up Jill's jacket. As quickly as she picked it up she dropped it and exclaimed, "Oh!"

DG walked over and picked up Jill's jacket. "Princess Dorothy! Don't touch that!," Elsie exclaimed again. Seeing the blood frightened her and Elsie's exclamations made Meredith and Kyra look up from their chores. DG said softly, "Elsie. It's okay."

"No! It's not _okay_. There is _blood _on that jacket.," Elsie whispered loudly.

DG ignored her and deftly undid all of the zippers. She held the liner in one hand and the jacket in the other. "Elsie," she said imploringly. "There was an accident and Jill went to help them." She felt terrible lying to Elsie but she had no choice. If word got out that Jill killed a soldier, out of mercy or not, the palace help would be in an uproar. Enough damage had already been done by her little temper tantrum.

Elsie tentatively reached out and took the jacket. She turned it inside out and then took the liner. She bent over and then took the rest of the clothes. As she turned to leave, she said coolly, "We will have them washed and dried by evening. I will see to it personally."

"Thanks Elsie," DG replied. But Elsie was already on her way out the door. DG sighed and then left for Azkadellia's chamber.

It was a short walk to her sister's chamber. DG knocked on the door. "Come in!" Azkadellia's voice sounded strong and alert.

DG opened the door and walked in. There stood her mother, the Queen, brushing Azkadellia's hair. It was a ritual that the Queen did every morning if she was in the palace.

"Good morning, DG," the Queen said to her as she continued to walk across the room. The Queen's voice was tired but it still had that lyrical quality to it. DG sat down on the bed and took one of the many pillows to cuddle. She noticed that her mother had already applied Azkadellia's makeup.

"DG, I saw Elsie in the hallway and she made it a point to speak to me," said the Queen.

DG hugged the pillow a little harder, "And what did she say?"

"She told me that our houseguest destroyed some items in her chamber last night. I believe that she said that Jill lost her temper," replied the Queen rather matter-of-factly. She glanced over at DG, "Would you know anything more about this little incident?"

"Ouch!," exclaimed Azkadellia and she jerked her head.

The Queen stopped what she was doing and placed her hand on Azkadellia's shoulder, "I'm so sorry Azkadellia. There was a knot."

"Mother, I talked to her this morning, and it was just frustration. She's had so much happen to her these past five days," replied DG sympathetically.

"I will agree DG; however, that does not excuse her present behavior. As soon as Major Cain reports back to the palace I intend to speak to him about it," the Queen sternly said.

"Are you going to ask her to leave?" DG asked. They had something in common and even though they had not talked much, she considered her a friend already.

"Not yet. However another incident and Major Cain will have to find another place for her to stay. I cannot have her disrupting this house."

DG said nothing more and continued to hug the pillow.

Out of nowhere Azkadellia piped up and smirked, "Cain and DG were out on the balcony last night."

DG's head snapped back to attention and the Queen stopped her brushing mid-stroke.

"I took a walk last night and I saw Cain and DG out on the balcony near Jill's chamber," she said and she gently patted her cheek. Sometimes the makeup made her skin itch and patting was the only thing she could do without messing it up. "Don't worry DG, I didn't stay long and I couldn't hear what was being said."

The Queen turned to look at DG and furled her brow slightly. "DG. What were you and Major Cain discussing last night? Out on the balcony none-the-less?"

DG swallowed hard and then gave a passing glare to her sister. "Just stuff, Mother."

The Queen's lavender eyes stared at her. DG sighed. It was that type of stare all mothers give their children when they know that they are not quite telling the whole truth.

"Cain had stopped by to check on Jill and he told me how the blood got on her jacket.," said DG. The stare from her mother was unrelenting. "He told me that she went to help some victims from the explosion." _This lying is getting to be a bad habit._ But how could she tell her mother that Jill killed a soldier out of mercy? If she did, she probably would boot her out on to the street, or call the Royal Guard to take her away.

Thankfully the Queen did not question her explanation, at least not at the moment, "And what else?"

"Mother, there wasn't anything else," she responded. She sighed again. A little voice inside her head said _liar_. She closed her eyes and felt Cain's strong hands on her shoulders.

The Queen put the brush down on the vanity and then walked over to the bed and sat down next to DG. Her hands were folded in her lap.

"Events happen in our lives for a reason; sometimes they are within our control and sometimes not," she said softly as she looked over at Azkadellia. DG continued to hug her pillow and look down at the floor.

The Queen continued, "Major Cain has moved on with his life." DG looked up at her mother. "And so have you."

"Ambrose……," the Queen reached out for DG's hand and started again. "Glitch is a good man. He cares deeply for you. Your other parents, if they were still alive, would have approved of him as well."

"I know Mother," whispered DG. The mention of her other parents, her guardians, disheartened her even further. She had not thought about them for a long time. Not since Cain had left.

The Queen took a deep breath, "Then you need to give him an answer."

"I will Mother, I promise.," whispered DG again.

The Queen was about to say something else when a loud knock on the door interrupted them. The Queen let go of DG's hand and said in a loud strong voice, "Enter!"

A young courier appeared, "General Turnbaugh is waiting for you."

The Queen stood up and placed her hand lightly on DG's shoulder and her other hand on her head, and she whispered, "Your grandmother had a saying. She told me to not go chasing after waterfalls." She paused and then added, "Please DG, take heed of that." Her hands lingered a moment longer and she gently kissed DG on the head. Then she pulled away.

"Thanks Mother," said DG as she tried to smile.

The Queen gave a hug to Azkadellia and whispered in her ear, "I love you Az, always remember that." And with that she followed the courier out the door.

Azkadellia got up and took one last look in the mirror. As she did so, she asked DG, "So that means you're going to say yes, right?"

DG looked over at her and said, "Yeah Az." But she did not sound very convincing.


	14. Chapter 14, Target Practice

Chapter 14, "Target Practice"

* * *

Glitch's personal VIP tour was done by mid-day. He took her everywhere; if one defined everywhere as "where" Cain stated in his letter that they were allowed to go. As they walked in to the same private dining hall that they had been in for breakfast, they saw DG and Azkadellia already sitting there eating. As Glitch and Jill sat down DG explained that she and Azkadellia were going to the main hospital in the afternoon to visit the victims of the attack. Even though they had been advised not to, they still had insisted on going.

Soon thereafter, Glitch and Jill were left alone to eat. They ate in silence as they read a few of the newspapers that were left behind. The headlines screamed, "TERROR ATTACKS! WHO'S TO BLAME?", "IS IT WAR?" and "ROYAL RESPONSE LACKING".

After they were done eating, Glitch leaned forward in his chair. "What would you like to get in to next?" he asked.

Jill finished her sip of water, "The palace has an armory, doesn't it?"

Glitch smugly replied, "Of course it does. This place is like a fort."

She took another sip of water and then folded her hands in her lap. "Will you take me there?"

"Excuse me?" responded Glitch in disbelief.

Jill's heart pounded in her chest. "Yes, Glitch. I would like for you to take me down to the armory. Certainly there's a shooting range there."

Glitch continued to shake his head in disbelief causing his unruly curls to bounce slightly. "Jill, I really don't think that that's a good idea." He paused and then it started, uncontrollably, "not a good idea…..not a good idea….." Jill rose from her chair and shook his arm slightly.

"Oh, sorry. I've gotten better but when I get upset sometimes my glitching still flares up." He smiled weakly.

Jill gently held his arm, "I'm sorry for upsetting you Glitch, but you need to understand that I need the practice," then she resumed her seat.

Without thinking Glitch replied, "Why? I would think that after what happened you wouldn't touch a gun again."

A look of hurt passed over Jill's face. She played with the edge of the tablecloth as took a deep breath and composed her thoughts. "That was different Glitch." She stopped. The memory of seeing Lieutenant Miller's bloodshot eyes roared to life but she pushed him out of her mind. _Don't they always say that when you fall off the horse you got to get back up on it again? And yeah whoever said that probably never had to do it either. _"I used to shoot targets when I was younger. So this would be just like old times." She paused again. "Besides, you know what's happened to me in my short time here. I need to be able to protect myself."

Glitch just looked at her for a moment. Then he said, "Jill, there's lots of people here that can protect you now."

Jill rolled her eyes at him. "Really? Every time I'm left alone something happens. I'm sorry if I sound cruel Glitch, but I can't depend on them. I need to go back and start taking care of myself again."

Glitch slowly shook his head, "I'm sorry Jill but I can't take you there." Friend or not, the very thought of Cain bellowing at him for what he had done by taking Jill somewhere out of bounds sent a shiver up his spine.

"Glitch. If you don't take me there, then I'm going to find it on my own." Jill replied decisively. "Besides, you've shown me practically everything and at least this will keep me occupied the rest of the afternoon."

For what seemed like an eternity neither one spoke. Then Glitch sighed. "Okay, let's go," he said dejectedly. As he followed Jill out of the dining hall he muttered under his breath, "This is going to be a bad idea."

A short time later they arrived in the armory. To reach it they had to go to in the lowest level of the palace. The stairs had seen better days and it was dimly lit. The Sergeant-At-Arms, Sergeant McCloskey, eyed them warily. He knew Glitch well enough but he did not know the lady that accompanied him.

Glitch was clearly uncomfortable as they approached the barred window. The smell of stale cigars hung heavily in the air. "Yeah, Ambrose. What is it?" growled Sergeant McCloskey as he put down his cigar. The sergeant was a short, heavy-set, balding man with bright hazel eyes that looked at them suspiciously.

Glitch gulped. "Sergeant." He paused, his head looking to and fro for a name tag or sign.

"It's Sergeant McCloskey.," responded the sergeant gruffly.

"Of course it is," gulped Glitch again. "Sergeant McCloskey, Miss Watkins here would like to do some target practice."

The sergeant eyed both of them. "Under who's authority?"

Before Glitch could say anything, Jill stepped in front of him, and said firmly, "Under Major Wyatt Cain's authority. He directed Ambrose to be my escort for the day."

Jill's eyes met Sergeant McCloskey's. "Sorry miss, but you don't appear that you know how to handle a firearm and I know that _he_ doesn't." He glared at Glitch. "And I don't have time to play babysitter to a bunch of kids this afternoon." And with that he put his cigar back in to his mouth.

Jill put her hands down on the window-sill. "With all due respect Sergeant McCloskey I do know how to handle a firearm." Out of the corner of her eye she saw a counter in the back with a few rifles on it. "Look, there are some rifles back there on the counter. If I can't load one of them, then I'll go away. If I can though, then you'll let me out on the range. Agreed?"

"And if I don't agree?" growled Sergeant McCloskey.

Jill continued to stare at him, "I am sure that Major Cain will hear about it soon enough."

Sergeant McCloskey said nothing more. There was a jingling of keys and the sergeant waddled over to the gate leading back behind the window.

Jill walked up to the counter with Glitch in tow. Sergeant McCloskey took one of the rifles and moved it in front of her. She nimbly picked it up, quickly dislodged the clip, and set it back down on the counter. She placed the clip in her left hand and with her right hand motioned for the box of shells. Sergeant McCloskey raised an eyebrow and then reached underneath the counter and placed the box in front of her. She loaded up the clip, placed it back down on the counter, and then picked the rifle back up. She opened the chamber and loaded the last shell. Then she inserted the clip with a satisfying click and handed the rifle to Sergeant McCloskey. "Did I do it right?"

Sergeant McCloskey opened the chamber and inspected it, then took out the clip and put it back in. He then gruffly replied, "Yeah, you did it right." He picked up another rifle and a box of shells and moved from behind the counter. "Follow me," was all that he said.

* * *

It was early evening when Cain returned to the palace. Most of the civilian workers were leaving for the day. He walked briskly around a corner and nearly ran into a group of young boys; they were very young military school cadets. 

"Sorry Major!" they all said in near unison.

Cain yelled after them half-humorously, "Whoa?! What's the rush?"

One of the cadets turned and while still running backwards, yelled back, "There's a girl down on the shooting range beatin' the guys. We're gonna' go watch!" He then turned around and sprinted to catch up with his friends.

Cain's smile turned upside-down. As he ran after the boys, he thought to himself, _I swear by the gods Jill, this stunt is worse than what DG ever pulled._

* * *

He arrived down at the armory amid a small commotion. Sergeant McCloskey was yelling at the young cadets to leave; telling them that the shooting range was closed for the day. 

The young cadets ran through Cain, chatting excitedly. He heard bits of "That was cool!" and "She kicked Talin's butt!"

Then a young group of men passed him by. None spoke and none looked him in the eye. He turned and was going to call after them, but they were already too far from him.

Sergeant McCloskey saw him and waddled over to him. "Major Cain, sorry for all the fuss.," he said crustily. The sergeant motioned for Cain to follow him down the exterior hallway. The suns had begun to set and the air became damp and cold.

"A group of young academy men came down to practice. They didn't take too well to a lady shooting down here and she didn't take to well to them."

Cain said in a stern low whisper, "Why didn't you put a stop to it then?"

Without looking Sergeant McCloskey replied, "'Cause they deserved to have their asses handed to 'em."

When Cain and Sergeant McCloskey appeared Jill had just finished emptying the clip and boxing up the shells. He glared at Glitch, and then asked Jill harshly, "What the hell are you doing?"

Jill picked up the rifle and handed it and the shells to the sergeant. He started down the hallway, and it was then that Jill saw that Cain brought her blue blanket. She willed her guilt away and she started after Sergeant McCloskey with Cain in tow. Glitch took a couple of long strides to catch up with them.

Cain came up alongside her and asked harshly again, "I said, what the hell are you doing?"

"I was practicing," replied Jill matter-of-factly. She continued to walk down the hallway and refused to look at him.

Cain took one long stride and cut in front of her. It forced her to stop and look at him. His eyes were piercing and he said coarsely, "One. You weren't supposed to be down here to begin with. And two. You were doing more than practicing."

Jill's eyes narrowed in response. "I'll tell you the same thing that I told Glitch. I need to be able to protect myself."

Cain started to retort with, "I know that I haven't…" but he was interrupted by Sergeant McCloskey hoarsely calling out, "Major Cain! I need to lock up!"

Cain humphed and started quickly walking down the hallway. Both Jill and Glitch had to half run to keep up with him.

In no time they reached the gate where Sergeant McCloskey was waiting for them to exit. After they did he locked it behind him.

"Miss Wilkins!," Sergeant McCloskey huskily called out and then he took out his cigar. Cain, Glitch, and Jill stopped. "You forgot your winnings."

Jill walked over to the window and Sergeant McCloskey pushed a pile of coins towards her. "Thank you for holding them Sergeant McCloskey.," she said with a weak smile.

"Anytime miss," he replied as he stuck his cigar back in his mouth.

She turned and looked back at Cain and Glitch. Glitch just stood there looking so sad, and Cain's eyes pierced once again through her.

She walked up to them. She looked at Glitch and then looked at Cain. With a calmness that surprised even her she told him, "Cain, I don't regret what I did. There's always a reason for what I do; never forget that." She handed the coins out to Cain but he refused to take them. She sighed, closed her hand over them and let her arm down. "One of the cadets had the Wolfsangel symbol on his wallet. I figured that if we're going to have to check it out, I'd at least use his money to buy us a beer there." She stared at Cain for a moment more, trying to read him, but then gave up.

She walked past them and went up the stairs. Glitch had a quizzical look on his face and asked, "What's the Wolfsangel symbol?" But Cain just shook his head and hissed, "Not now Glitch," and looked away. As they followed her up the stairs, Cain thought to himself, _damn it Jill._


	15. Chapter 15, Dinner For Eight

Chapter 15, Dinner For Eight

Cain, Glitch, and Jill reached one of the main atriums in the palace. A young courier running through the halls found them and handed Cain a sealed envelope. He tucked Jill's blue blanket under one arm and angrily opened the envelope to read it. It was a very short invitation that read more like a requirement. 

_Major Wyatt Cain and Miss Jill Wilkins are to report to the Fanaqquian dining hall at 6:00pm. Formal dress is not required, come as is._

"What is it," Glitch asked.

Cain looked up at him and coldly replied, "Jill and I are invited to supper with you guys." He then outstretched his arm to Jill, "Here, take this. Glitch can take you back to your room and then I'll get you right before six."

Jill took her blanket and held it up to her chest. Before she could thank him, Cain started purposely walking away, and Glitch yelled after him, "Cain! Where are you going?"

Without turning to look back he said, "To cool off."

* * *

Cain arrived at Jill's door right before six o'clock. As he knocked on the door, he said loudly, "Jill? It's me Cain." 

There was no answer. He was ready to knock again when the door suddenly opened. Jill stepped through the doorway and as she closed the door just softly said a simple, "Hi Cain."

They started down the hallway in near silence. The palace was deserted aside from the occasional guard or chambermaids passing them by. Only the clicking of Jill's low heels and Cain's boots was distinctly audible. After what seemed like forever, Jill finally broke it by saying, "I'm sorry that I took the wagers from those kids but I'm not sorry for going down to the Armory."

Cain glanced at her but kept walking.

"And if you're going to be mad, stay mad at me. Leave Glitch out of it.," she continued.

Cain kept walking but finally said, "It was a stupid thing to do. You need to be keeping a low profile."

"Really," she looked over at him. "And taking a tour with Glitch is supposed to be low profile? And besides, I sound like a pony in these heels; anyone could track me."

Cain allowed his face to soften slightly but said nothing more. 

They were nearly to the private dining hall when they encountered Jill's chambermaid, Elsie. Jill noticed that she had her clothes. Most noticeable was her pink jacket on top of the pile.

"Hi Elsie," Jill said as Elsie drew near. "Did you wash my clothes?"

Elsie drew her lips tightly together before answering. "Yes, I personally saw to it that your clothes were washed. Princess Dorothy directed me to do so."

"Thank you Elsie. That was very kind of you." Jill replied somewhat slowly. There was something different about Elsie's demeanor and she was not sure what was causing it.

"I will lay these clothes on your bed and then I will see you in the morning," Elsie curtly replied. And with that she continued on her way.

Jill called after her, "Thank you again Elsie!" But she was not sure if Elsie heard her or not. If she did, she did not acknowledge it. She watched Elsie march down the hallway and then turned to catch up with Cain.

They continued walking and when they turned around a corner, they had reached the private dining hall.

* * *

It turned out that the Fanaqquian dining hall was the formal name of the room where Jill had had breakfast and lunch already. However, this time most of the smaller tables had been removed and one large table was set up. The place settings were still kept simple and the lights were dimmed to match the glow of the fire that had been built in the fireplace. It all gave the room a warm cozy feeling.

The head of the table was reserved for the Queen with Lord Ahamo to be seated to her right. Dr. Addison was already seated and was across from Lord Ahamo's chair; to the Queen's left. 

Already seated next to Dr. Addison were Azkadellia, DG, and then Glitch. There were chatting about something but Dr. Addison was disinterested in their conversation. He absent-mindedly was playing with his napkin. To the right of Lord Ahamo, the seating was to be Cain, and then Jill. There was an empty place-setting next to Jill.

A side door that Jill had not noticed earlier in the day opened and both the Queen and Lord Ahamo entered. All stood up and Jill followed their lead.

Both the Queen and Lord Ahamo walked over and took their places in front of their chairs. "Good evening family, friends, and guests" said the Queen as she looked over everyone. Then as she sat, everyone once again followed her lead.

Servers quickly came out and after they presented the first course, a simple small salad, Lord Ahamo asked his daughters, "How was the trip to the hospital?"

DG answered first, "It was tough. There are so many that were injured. All of the families that we met are having a hard time dealing with it."

"Did you and Az stay together or split up?" he asked.

"We stayed together Father," replied Azkadellia in a clear voice. Dr. Addison quickly looked over at her and then continued picking at his salad. "How are you feeling Azkadellia? You do not sound tired at all."

"I'm feeling very well Dr. Addison. Much better than yesterday."

"That reminds me Azkadellia my dear. Here is a small packet of the new sleeping medicine that I would like you to try." Dr. Addison reached inside his vest pocket and pulled out a small white envelope and handed it to Azkadellia. Both Cain and Jill looked surprised that Dr. Addison, prescription or not, would pass drugs at the dinner table. But no one else seemed to think that it was out of the ordinary.

Lord Ahamo swallowed the bite of salad he had taken before speaking again. "Did anything else happen while you were there?"

"No Father," answered DG, "If you're wondering about protests or anything like that." She thought back to the newspaper articles that she had read earlier in the day. Azkadellia added, "Most people I talked to want to know if we or the police know who or what is behind the attacks."

"Some people think that the attacks were done by Longcoats that weren't captured or escaped from the western territories." As she said it DG looked over at Cain. He continued to eat his salad and said nothing.

The Queen interrupted, "You did make sure to also give our appreciation to the doctors, nurses, and other caretakers at the hospital?"

"Of course Mother," Azkadellia replied, "We met with as many as we could during the time that we were there."

"Tomorrow we want to spend the day at the NHN headquarters helping where we can too," DG stated. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Jill's confused look. "NHN is the Neighbors Helping Neighbors organization. It's kind-of like the Salvation Army." Jill nodded her head in understanding.

"DG, I truly understand why you and Azkadellia want to go, but please remember that it is very dangerous. The NHN headquarters is not located in a secure area, even under peaceful times. I am not sure that you should be allowed to go," stated the Queen.

"But Mother," responded DG hastily. "We can't be sitting around here doing nothing. The people need us and it's our responsibility to respond." Again she thought back to the headlines, "ROYAL RESPONSE LACKING."

Lord Ahamo spoke up, "Dear, if the appropriate precautions are taken, DG and Az should be allowed to go." 

The Queen sighed. "If no further events occur during the course of the night then you may go." She knew that if she did not give her permission that they would both go irregardless of her decision. She admired her daughters for being independent women, but they were still young and these were dangerous times again.

During the lull in the conversation, the servers came out and retrieved the plates of those that had finished. Shortly thereafter they brought out the main course. Again, it was a simple meal consisting of roasted beef, carrots, and potatoes.

After the servers left, the Queen motioned to Dr. Addison and said, "In passing today I have received a complaint from one of the local precincts that they have sent over evidence to the Academy for further evaluation and have not yet received a response."

Both Cain and Dr. Addison looked up from their meals. Dr. Addison smoothly replied, "The Academy has always been supportive in helping the local precincts with their various investigations. Certainly with the recent attack they must understand that the resources are being focused on determining the cause of the explosion. Any little side investigations from the 9th Street Precinct will need to wait."

"Why do you think that it's a little side investigation?" Cain asked as he finished taking a drink of his wine.

Dr. Addison put down his knife and fork, "Excuse me Major?"

Cain paused for a moment before replying. "I would think that right now any new evidence would be treated the same. How do you know if it's connected to the attacks or not?"

Dr. Addison was taken a little aback but quickly resumed his smoothness. He made it a point to be smug in his response, "Certainly Major, you have no idea how many requests for scientific and research assistance we receive in a single day. They all must be prioritized. Right now any objects received that are from the other world are at the bottom of the list."

For another moment the only noise was that of silverware and the faintly audible sounds of everyone eating. Then throwing caution to the wind, Cain said, "The Queen only said that she received a complaint from one of the local precincts. How do you know that it was about evidence from the other world from the 9th Street Precinct?"

Everyone stopped eating.

Dr. Addison slowly put down the bit of roast beef he was about to eat. He glared at Cain, but then smiled at him and then the Queen before answering. "I receive a daily summary of all requests. The 9th Street Precinct always has the most; usually about unusual objects. They also are the most impatient. I naturally assumed that the dear Queen was referring to them." He paused and then added with an almost imperceptible sneer, "Major Cain, am I _incorrect_ about my assumption?"

Cain unflinchingly stared back at Dr. Addison. "No, Dr. Addison, you're not _incorrect_."

The Queen interrupted the exchange by asking, "Major Cain. How do you know about what I asked Dr. Addison?"

Cain paused and turned to look at her. "I was visiting with Sergeant Costello at the 9th Street Precinct and he mentioned that he had sent some evidence over to the Academy."

The Queen nodded her head. She turned to Dr. Addison and replied, "I would recommended Dr. Addison that you re-review your summaries in the morning. We need to be sure that nothing that could be connected to the attacks is thrown aside. Do you understand?"

"Of course my Queen. I understand quite well," coldly replied Dr. Addison as he stared at Cain. His green eyes flared in the dim light.

The tension in the room had grown during the conversation between Dr. Addison and Cain. Lord Ahamo changed the subject by asking, "Ambrose, I understand that you gave Jill a tour of the palace this morning. How did it go?"

Glitch momentarily looked like a deer in headlights. Jill stopped her chewing and looked at him. He took a deep breath and he resumed his happy self. "It went well sir. We stayed within the palace. I even showed her my old office."

"Did you enjoy the tour, Jill?" asked Lord Ahamo.

Jill swallowed and looked at him. She meekly replied, "Yes sir, I did. Glitch…. I mean, Ambrose is a very good tour guide." Lord Ahamo smiled and resumed eating. Her response may have fooled him but the look she received from the Queen; she knew that it did not fool her. Cain was right. She should have been keeping a low profile.

"Major Cain, after dinner I would like to have a few private words with you," noted the Queen.

"Of course ma'am," he dryly replied as he folded a corner of the napkin on his lap.

Jill thought, _Oh shit._

The servers came out one more time and retrieved the dinner plates. Dessert was the last course and to Jill it resembled pumpkin pie.

"Miss Wilkins, you attended secondary school did you not?", asked Dr. Addison.

Jill looked up from her pie and saw Dr. Addison's inquisitive expression. DG added with half a mouthful, "He means college."

"Oh. Yes I did," she replied.

"I thought so," Dr. Addison charmingly said. Without thinking he added, "I saw that you went to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. What did you study there?"

DG nearly dropped her fork. "You went to MIT?"

"What's MIT?", asked Azkadellia.

"That's where all the science guys go to college, Az. You have to be really smart to get in there," DG answered.

Cain looked over at Jill and raised his eyebrow. She could almost read his thought of _"And just when were you going to tell me this?"_

"No wonder you kept picking up all the gadgets in my office," Glitch said admiringly.

Lord Ahamo looked over to his wife, "It's a very prestigious school."

Dr. Addison interrupted to regain control of the conversation, "As I asked before Miss Wilkins, what did you study there?"

"Just the general sciences," she briskly replied. She had no intention of giving him any more specific information.

Dr. Addison ignored her quick answer. "Ah, yes, the general sciences. The basic groundwork. I too enrolled in the general sciences courses. I not only enjoyed, but excelled, in all of them. Little did I know then it would put me on the path of becoming the Royal Advisor to the Queen herself." Glitch straightened up in his chair and DG grabbed his hand and squeezed it. She knew all too well that when Dr. Addison began to brag about himself, it upset him. 

Dr. Addison continued, "Did you have a specialty in the general sciences my dear?"

Everyone stared at her, waiting for the answer. She had no intention of amusing Dr. Addison. "No, I did not."

Jill decided that it was Dr. Addison's turn to feel uncomfortable. "Besides, Dr. Addison, how did you know that I went to MIT? I haven't told anyone, even those closest to me." She looked to Cain as she said it.

Once again the room fell silent. Cain looked at Jill, saw her suspicious face, and then looked back at Dr. Addison. His unconsciously let his hand drift down and feel for his gun.

Dr. Addison felt the heat rise to his face. He realized what he had done and it was too late. Between reading Jill's registration application and from the Father's secret knowledge he knew about Jill's life in the other world. He wanted to charm her, to start the process of trusting him, but he fucked it up. His mind frantically raced for a way out.

He cleared his throat. In his most charming voice he said, "From the moment I first met you I thought that you were a very intelligent young woman. I most naturally assumed that you had gone to a secondary school." He paused, looking for Jill's reaction. "We… we have found science text books from your world with the secondary school name of Massachusetts Institute of Technology." He paused again and took a deep breath. He laid his right hand over his heart, "Please understand that it was only an assumption on my part."

"Of course Dr. Addison, only an assumption on your part," Jill repeated and smiled weakly. _Liar._ She saw that Cain's hand remained down at his side.

Dr. Addison smiled to the group. He carefully folded up his napkin and politely patted the sweat from his forehead. He then laid it alongside his dessert plate. "If you will excuse me my Queen I believe that I will call it an early night." 

"Yes, Dr. Addison, thank you for attending dinner with us," replied the Queen. If she had any suspicions of Dr. Addison's response to Jill's question, it was not evident.

"Miss Wilkins," Dr. Addison called out to her as he rose from the table, "Perhaps tomorrow I may take you for a tour of the Royal Academy of Sciences. I would like to show you the other text books that we have acquired from other secondary schools in your world. I would appreciate your input on them."

Jill met Dr. Addison's stare with her own. Her gut screamed out, _don't trust him_. But she smiled softly and replied, "Yes, Dr. Addison. A tour of the academy does sound interesting. Perhaps we can arrange a time after breakfast." She noticed Cain's eyes narrow out of the corner of her eye but she ignored him.

"Very well, Miss Wilkins. I will send word tomorrow morning." And with that he bowed to the Queen and Lord Ahamo and quickly left the private dining hall. Unbeknownst to the group he raced down the hallway to his office, continuing to pat the sweat from his forehead from a handkerchief he pulled from his vest pocket.

After he left, Lord Ahamo said, "Azkadellia, as we wait for your mother to finish her business, why don't you come to back to our chambers? We found some more pictures of your grandmother that we would like to show you."

DG was ready to say that she wanted to see the pictures too but Lord Ahamo quickly added, "DG, why don't you and Ambrose spend the evening together. I'm sure that you have many things to talk about." He glanced over at Glitch as he said it.

"Oh, yeah, of course Father. We haven't seen much of each other today, have we Glitch," she replied. She realized that she still held Glitch's hand and she released it. Her thoughts drifted back again to the conversation that she had with her mother in the morning. She thought of her mother's request to her to not to let Glitch hanging any more. Did her mother talk to her father about it?

"DG," interrupted Cain.

DG shook her head and made her mind come back to the present, "Yeah Cain?" 

"Can you take Jill up to her room? The Queen and I need to talk about a few things," he said.

"Sure Cain." She looked at Jill and smiled, "Are you ready to go?"

Jill nodded and she rose from her chair. She turned to Cain and without thinking lightly placed her hand on his shoulder, "Will I see you later?" DG raised an eyebrow and straightened her posture. 

Cain surprised himself by not flinching at her touch and replied, "As soon as I'm done here." _We have a lot to talk about Jill and you're not getting out of this time._

Glitch had his arm around DG's waist as they left the room and DG took one last parting look at Cain. And with that, all went their separate ways. 

Only the Queen and Cain were left alone in the room.


	16. Chapter 16, Wrong Place, Wrong Time

Chapter 16, Wrong Place, Wrong Time

Raw and Calm came out of the forest trail and unto a small village that had a few rustic houses and a small inn. Lights were few and came mostly from the inn. From the full moon they could see that the inn was like the other houses, plain and unadorned. The small sign that hung out from the porch announced that it was "The Boar Head Inn."

They walked their horses over to the hitching post. Raw dismounted and told Calm in a tired voice, "Wait here." He wearily climbed the steps to the porch and before entering the inn shook the snow from his hood.

The inside of the inn was dimly lit. A large fireplace on the far side of the room provided most of the light. The few tables and chairs were old and well worn from years of heavy use. Raw walked over to the large counter on the other side of the room and rang the bell. A large balding man came out from a back room that was concealed with a dark burgundy curtain. His apron was dirty and he smelled of old grease and wood smoke.

The innkeeper laid his large calloused hands on the counter and asked Raw in a gruff voice, "Can I help ya?"

Raw looked at him and said, "Need room for the night. For my son and I."

The innkeeper looked him over from head to toe. "Do ya have any money? Cause I don't give rooms out for free." And then he followed it up by saying condescendingly, "Especially to your kind."

Raw's eyes narrowed for a second and then he replied. "I have money. We only stay for the night, then go in the morning."

"All right then. If you have horses you can keep them in the barn in the back for the night… It'll cost ya extra though," said the innkeeper.

Raw turned to walk out the door, but the innkeeper called after him. "Wait there a second. You gotta' pay first."

Raw turned back around, paid the grubby innkeeper, and then went back out to attend to the horses and Calm.

* * *

From out of the same forest trail a small group of men on horseback appeared. The leader of the group dismounted and examined the fresh horse tracks. He remounted his horse and motioned his men to follow. They walked their horses to the inn.

* * *

Calm had lain down on one bed and Raw was laying on the other. The fire was the only light in the room. Both were exhausted from the day's travel. They had been on the road for a few days. They were traveling from their village east of Central City. It was a small village composed of other viewers that had survived the witch's reign. The last time that Raw and Calm saw DG and her family was last fall. It was time to visit again, especially in light of the events that had just happened.

Both were sound asleep when there was a loud rap on the door.

Calm groggily rubbed his eyes and asked sleepily, "What's that noise?"

Raw removed the coverlet and wearily rose from his bed as there was another loud rap on the door. "Don't know Calm," he said.

He placed his hand on the doorknob and opened the door.

The door barely opened a crack when it was violently pushed open. The door ripped out of Raw's hand and he was pushed back by the weight of three large men. He stumbled backwards onto his bed with the lead man on top of him.

Calm jumped up from his bed and yelled something incoherent. He rushed the man on top of Raw but was attacked from behind. He felt strong arms slide underneath his armpits and he growled again. The strong arms pulled him backwards, swung him around with little effort and threw him on his bed. Calm tumbled off the bed and landed on the other side, between the bed and the wall. In just a few strides the third man was on top of Calm again. He grabbed Calm by his hair and he screamed in pain. 

Raw heard Calm's scream of pain and he let loose a loud growl as he continued to struggle with the lead man. The lead man grappled with his arms and the second man attempted to subdue his legs.

Calm struggled to release himself of the third man's grasp. The man still had a firm grip on his hair and with his other hand grabbed his arm. Then with all of his strength he picked Calm up and threw him up against the wall. The sickening thud stunned Calm and for a moment he stopped his struggle. It was all the time that the third man needed. He released his grip on Calm's arm, drew his arm back, and hit him square in the jaw.

Calm's body went limp and the man let his body fall to the floor. It landed with a thud.

Out of the corner of his eye Raw saw the third man punch Calm and his body go limp. It enraged him and with all his strength pushed the lead man away. He then landed a kick to the head of the second man that was attempting to subdue his legs. The second man fell away backwards and hit the edge of the door.

Raw quickly rose from the bed but was not quick enough to block the punch from the third man. It landed on the side of his face and it stunned him. Raw bent over and by that time the lead man had recovered. He brought his knee up and hit Raw in the gut as hard as he could.

Raw groaned in pain and grabbed his gut with both arms. He had trouble catching his breath. The punches came faster and landed squarely on his head. He sunk to one knee, and then to the other. A cut above his eye and his nose started to bleed. His eyes became unfocused and he moaned under his breath, "Calm", and then all went to black.

* * *

"Hey there sleepyhead," said a man's voice.

Raw's head was still bent over but he slowly shook it from side to side. He was woozy but the voice sounded familiar. He was sitting on the ground but he was leaning against a piece of wood, his hands tied behind his back.

"I said, hey there sleepyhead," said the man's voice again.

Raw slowly raised his head. His eyes still had trouble focusing and in the dim light he saw a man kneeling in front of him. The man was dressed in a long dark duster and wore a dark brimmed hat. He mumbled, "Cain?"

The man started to laugh. Then the laughter grew louder. "Pretty convincing, isn't it?" the man asked him. "I even have his dear blue eyes." Then the man laughed again.

Raw struggled to focus on the figure kneeling before him. His eyes narrowed and then with horror he realized who it was. "Zero," he mumbled again. His jaw hurt from all of the blows that he had taken earlier and it pained him to talk.

Zero rose to his feet and took off the hat. He played with it in his hands. "You sound slightly disappointed," he said to Raw. "Trust me though, I'm not."

He tossed the hat aside and it landed on a pack nearby. Raw looked at his surroundings and saw that he was in a tent. It was dimly lighted by a few lamps. Another man he did not recognize stood near Zero and he could tell that there were guards right outside the entrance.

"Never did I imagine that my trackers would stumble across some viewers." Zero continued to pace the tent. "Let alone the viewer who tried to read my mind back in that rebel camp." He stopped his pacing and stood in front of Raw. 

Raw glared at him and he muttered, "Where's Calm?"

"Oh your little buddy," Zero asked. "Don't worry, he's in good hands," he sneered.

Raw continued to glare at him, "Let him go."

Zero knelt back down in front of Raw. "Really," he paused before continuing. "I don't think you're in any position to be making demands, viewer."

He rose back to his feet. "The Father has special plans for your kind." He turned to Lundgren and said, "Watch him and the other one well. His kind are hard to find."

Lundgren asked, "Should we send him and the little one away now or once we arrive in Calvert?"

"Send them away first thing in the morning. The quicker that they reach the Father the better," Zero replied.

Zero was ready to leave the tent when Raw muttered, "Friends will come…. Cain will come."

Zero stopped and slowly turned around. His anger flared and he struck Raw; and he moaned in pain in response. His head hung low again but he was still conscious. The blood started to run from his nose anew and dripped on to the ground.

"Cain's not going to be able to save your sorry ass this time viewer," he hissed. For good measure he reared back and hit Raw again. 


	17. Chapter 17, Answers,Part 1

Chapter 17, Answers, Part 1

_Author's Note: Thanks to all who have been walking alongside me on this little journey! As always, all reviews are most welcome and appreciated._

The fire in the fireplace crackled as it burned lower. By now the servants had cleared the dinner dishes and were impatiently waiting for Cain and the Queen to leave the dining room. They had yet to take away the linens and put the tables back in their original places before they could go home for the day.

The Queen took notice of the door leading to the kitchen opening a crack and then quickly closing. She said to Cain, "Major, please escort me to my sitting room." She looked back over to the door and then back to Cain. "There will be privacy there."

* * *

The Queen's sitting room was small and cozy. As they entered the room they discovered that her chambermaid had already drawn the heavy velvet curtains for the evening. They were a deep blue in color and the heavy gold braid tiebacks, normally used during the day, hung at the edges. A light colored wooden desk was placed near the window. It was small and had delicate hand-carved legs. The fireplace was lined with white and gray marble complimented by a dark gray flagstone floor. Bookcases, a few small brass electric lamps, and a few oil portraits lined the walls. The chambermaid finished fixing the fire in the fireplace and then quickly exited the room. The Queen motioned for Cain to sit down in one of the large velvet chairs in front of the fire. Being in such an intimate setting made him feel uncomfortable. He draped his long duster over the back of the chair and sat down.

The Queen started off by saying, "There are a few items that we need to discuss Major."

"This is about Jill isn't it," he replied. He crossed his leg and laid his hat on top of his knee. _Even now you still refuse to call me by name._

She watched him start to play with the edge of his hat. "Yes, amongst other things." She paused and for the first time in a long while she was unsure of where to begin. She had realized the day before that she was going to have to talk to Cain about the travel storms; however, it had been over a year since she had had such an intimate conversation with him. The familiarity was no longer there. 

"Why don't you start with that registration law," he asked. He remembered her furled look when he introduced Jill to her the day before.

The Queen rested her arms on the arms of the chair and began. "A few months after you were assigned to the western territories we began to receive an increasing number of reports of articles from the other world; from DG's world. Obviously the articles were being transported by travel storms. At first the after effects of the travel storms were seen in remote areas of the O.Z. However, with increasing frequency, the travel storms occurred near or in the villages and towns. It caused much devastation."

Cain nodded his head in understanding. "So who was generating them?"

"As of this day we have still been unable to determine that," she briskly replied. "A few times we were able to locate and confiscate the machines that generated the storms; however, the operator or operators escaped."

"Do you think that the operators are remnants of the Longcoats?" 

"Perhaps, even though as you are aware of, most of the remnants have been captured. We are positive though that the operators are formally organized and have a purpose. We enacted the ban on travel storms in order to stifle them." She paused again, waiting for his next question. She took a guess as to what it was. "As I stated before, we were not only able to confiscate the machines that generated the storms, but some times entire cargo containers of articles. We keep the containers here in a large store room under guard."

Cain went through his memories and the image of Jill's stripped truck entered his mind. "Do you have any engines?"

The Queen looked confused for a moment. "What do you mean by engines?"

"Engines from vehicles," he paused for a moment and shifted his legs. "Jill was driving her truck when the travel storm hit her. She had to abandon it and when I found it later, it was stripped of the engine."

The Queen turned pale and folded her hands in to her lap. She stared in to the fire and for a brief time neither spoke.

"So it continues to progress," she softly commented. Cain looked over at her.

"The articles that we found ranged from small electronic devices, as DG explained it, to other trinkets, clothing, and weapons. The weapons are of various types of guns and such. DG recognized some of the weapons as being quite powerful. She called them rocket launchers."

Cain asked, "Which are what?"

The Queen continued quietly, "DG said that it fires a bomb over a great distance. It only takes one man to carry such a weapon which makes it so dangerous. After the most powerful weapons were found, Dr. Addison recommended that we enact the registration law. The purpose was to track whether the contraband went from weapons to human trafficking."

"When you saw Jill yesterday, you saw that it had," stated Cain.

"Yes," replied the Queen.

Sergeant Costello's voice rang in his ears. "Why are you trying to hide all of this? The 9th Street Precinct has caches of those things too."

"To try to maintain the public peace, Major. It has taken this long to return the O.Z. to some sense of normalcy. Throughout history there have been naturally occurring travel storms," she said as she thought back to how her husband arrived in the O.Z, "bringing articles from that other world. The populace would panic if they learned that another insurgency was rising again and that they were the ones intentionally creating travel storms to bring weapons of war."

Cain unsympathetically replied, "You should have told the populace the truth. It's not like they're not panicked now."

Neither spoke again. The only sound was the crackling of the fire. Cain finally broke the uncomfortable silence. "When we were at the cabin some men broke in looking for Jill."

The Queen shifted in her chair and unfolded her hands. She placed her left hand on the arm of the chair and leaned slightly his way. "Has Jill told you what she did in the other world? Why people from this world would risk bringing her here?"

"She told me that she was a secretary," he said softly quietly. _Why did you lie to me Jill?_

The Queen said nothing for a second. "It does not seem like a secretary would need to go to secondary school for the general sciences."

"No, it doesn't," Cain grudgingly agreed.

The Queen regained her composure. "Until further notice she will not be allowed to go out unescorted unless she is either with you or a guard. I also trust that you will find out the truth behind her background. It may be the only new lead that we have."

Cain simply nodded in agreement. 

"General Turnbaugh will assist you in the interrogation," she added.

Cain visibly stiffened. "Jill has not done anything wrong in the eyes of the law." The old tin man in him screamed _liar… she killed Lieutenant Miller._

"As true as that may be, she still needs to be re-questioned. Given that the investigation of the travel storms is under the jurisdiction of the military, General Turnbaugh or his designee will be involved in her interrogation," she firmly stated.

Cain knew that there was no use in arguing, "I'll make the arrangements in the morning," he answered.

"You also need to have a discussion about her recent behavior," the Queen added. Cain raised his eyebrow.

"It is my understanding that last night she broke numerous items in her chamber. Amongst the items were her mirror, the contents on top of her dresser, and her bedside lamp. I will not tolerate such behavior." Cain's eyes showed surprise but the Queen ignored it and continued her verbal assault. "I was also told that she was in the Armory. That was unauthorized, irregardless of the fact that she was with Glitch."

"I'll make sure that it doesn't happen again," he solemnly replied.

"As long as she is a visitor in this palace I am going to hold you personally responsible for her behavior. I will not allow an outworlder to upset the day to day operations of this palace. There are enough crises already." And with that the Queen took a deep breath and leaned back in her chair.

Cain silently debated about whether he should ask his next question or not. _To hell with it._ "Do you really trust Dr. Addison?"

"Excuse me Major? Would you care to explain that further," demanded the Queen as she leaned forward in her chair.

"Jill never told anyone, even me, where she went to secondary school. How did Dr. Addison know where she went," he questioned as he moved forward in his chair. The old tin man in him was starting to come out again.

The Queen's lavender eyes flared in the firelight. "As much disdain as you may have for Dr. Addison, my husband and I do trust him. We would not let him near our daughters if we did not."

"That's not the question I asked," Cain coldly replied as he put his hat on the arm of the chair.

"Once upon a time I would have considered your judgment infallible; however, that was shattered with the death of DG's parents," the Queen responded back, just as cold.

Her reply cut through him like a knife. 

"After you were ordered to the western territories, Azkadellia suffered a total mental collapse. No doctors were able to help her and it was Dr. Addison who was able to silence her demons."

Cain remained silent.

The Queen continued, very sternly, "We have the utmost trust and confidence in Dr. Addison and he has given us no reason to question that. You do not need to like Dr. Addison; however, I expect that you show him the same respect as you would for any other member of this royal court. Is that understood?"

Cain looked the Queen in the eye. He austerely replied, "Quite clearly." As he did so he rose from his chair, grabbed his duster, and headed for the door.

"There is one more thing Major," stated the Queen as she rose from her chair. She still refused to call him by name.

Cain stopped, briefly looked up at the ceiling and then turned around to look at her.

"Even though you have business here at the palace, stay away from my daughter," she said. Her lavender eyes continued to glare in the firelight. Azkadellia's comment about seeing him and DG on the balcony, alone, infuriated her.

Cain said nothing.

The Queen went on, "While the death of DG's parents may have been determined accidental, their blood is still on your hands. And you know all too well the amount of suffering that DG went through because of it," she paused and then hissed, "You have brought her nothing but heartache," she paused one more time and then added, "While you were gone she found comfort in Glitch and fell in love with him. He has now asked her to be his wife….. She has found happiness and I will not allow you to interfere with that."

Cain's expression hardened but as it did, felt the ache grow in his chest, "She's said yes then," he asked. 

The Queen inhaled deeply and straightened her shoulders, "She has not given him a formal answer yet."

He realized that he left his hat on the arm of the chair that he was sitting in. He took a few steps over to the chair and picked it up. The Queen continued to carefully watch him as he walked back towards the door.

He put his hand on the doorknob and stopped without looking at the Queen, "If DG's happy, then that's all that matters," he said softly.

And with that he left the room and shut the door gently behind him without waiting for a response from the Queen. He took a few steps down the hallway and then stopped. There was a window nearby and he walked over to it. The moon was full and it cast its light across the grounds and the city. He looked down and saw a garden. He realized that it was the same garden where he tried to tell DG that he was sorry. Back then it was in the summer and the garden was full of life. Now a light coating of snow covered the bare bushes and statues and the light from the full moon emphasized its coldness. He stood there a long time before turning to continue down the hallway. He was headed towards the Armory.


	18. Chapter 18, Answers,Part 2

Chapter 18, Answers, Part 2

Glitch and DG walked slowly and silently down the hallway towards the private chambers. He still had his arm around her waist; drawing her close in to her.

They saw the occasional chambermaid or guard pass by but for the most part their section of the palace was deserted.

They reached the entrance to a semi-private sitting room and they entered together.

The sitting room was small and cozy; like most of the other sitting rooms in the palace. The heavy velvet curtains were a deep forest green and once again were already drawn for the evening. Tiebacks made of heavy silver braid hung at the edges. There was not a desk in this room; only deep cushioned chairs that were upholstered in a complimentary taupe color. There were two single chairs in front of the crackling fire. At the other side of the room was another single chair surrounded by two other loveseats. End tables of a dark wood held delicately carved silver electric lamps. The walls were decorated with oil portraits of ancestors and similar styled electric lamps. The wall lights had been turned off and the lamps on the end tables were dimmed.

Glitch and DG headed for one of the loveseats and sat down together. Glitch leaned back at the end of the loveseat, using a pillow to prop himself up. DG then leaned against him and stretched her legs out on the loveseat. He protectively wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on her mass of black curls; breathing in her scent. For a long time neither said anything and they only listened to the crackling of the fire.

This sitting room was one of the rooms that they used when they wanted to be alone inside the palace. To go to her chamber or his would have been considered both inappropriate and indecent. The palace would be in an uproar over the break in formal royal conduct. Out of respect they tolerated the arrangement; at least while inside.

"Did anything happen while you were taking Jill on her tour today?" DG finally asked.

Glitch moved his arms slightly. "The morning was fine. After we had lunch she made me take her to the Armory."

DG moved her head in order to try to look at him, "What do you mean that she _made_ you take her to the Armory?"

"She was determined that she was going to go; either with me or without me." He sighed. "So I took her down there."

"Oh Glitch," DG mumbled. "Why in the hell did she want to go down there?" _No wonder Mother looked pissed when Father asked him how the tour went. She found out._

Glitch moved his arm and started to play with her curls. "She said that she had to protect herself. That she couldn't rely on us." He tried to focus on her and her scent and it helped him to stay calm. If he could stay calm then he was less likely to glitch.

He heard her snort in annoyance and then she asked, "Then what happened?"

"She got a rifle from the sergeant and we all went down to one of the empty stalls at the shooting range. She can shoot really well," he stopped.

"And?"

Glitch sighed again, "Some cadets from the military academy came down and started to give her a hard time about being a girl and being down there."

DG moved Glitch's arms and sat up in order to look at him. "Did you stick up for her?"

"Of course I stuck up for her," he answered smugly with a smile on his face. But it was a fleeting smile. He soon frowned again, "But then one of the cadets took out his wallet, made a wager, and she agreed."

"Did she win or lose?" DG asked as she took his hand and held it; massaging it gently.

Glitch smiled. "She won. Pretty easily too." But just as before, his smile was fleeting again. "Cain came then."

She dropped his hand, a little too abruptly she realized too late. She forced herself to remain relaxed, "He did?"

Glitch left his hand lay where it fell for a second and then pulled it away. "Yeah, he wasn't too pleased. Especially when he found out that she made a wager and won it."

DG looked down and played with the folds in her dress. Glitch shifted slightly but continued to watch her.

She looked back up at him and smirked, "I don't imagine that he was happy about that."

A slight smile was brought to Glitch's lips. "No, he wasn't… Oh! I almost forgot. Jill told Cain something about seeing a symbol. I asked him about it and he told me 'not now'."

"Hmmph", DG went and then asked, "What symbol were they talking about?"

Glitch furled his eyebrows, lost in deep thought. He took his hand and even massaged his forehead trying to remember. Then he shrugged his shoulders, "I'm sorry doll, but I don't remember."

Then DG recalled the note that Cain left Glitch that morning. She said, "I read the note that he left you this morning. I wish he would have told me last night if he thought something was up."

Glitch continued to rub his forehead, "Just how long were you talking with Cain last night?" he asked quietly.

DG swallowed hard and felt the heat rise to her face. "It wasn't very long at all. Just long enough to find out why Jill had that blood on her jacket. Then I saw you in here and told you what he told me."

Glitch rose from the loveseat and walked over to stand in front of the fireplace. DG watched him go, her face was still flushed. The only sound was the crackling of the fire.

"DG, you know that I'll never be like Cain. You do understand that don't you?", he asked imploringly.

DG got up from the loveseat, dropped her shawl, and quietly walked over to where Glitch stood. She wrapped her arms around him, laid her hands across his chest, and buried her head in his back. "I do understand that Glitch."

Glitch's head hung low as he continued to stare in to the fire. He thought of his old friend and the times that they shared. "I won't ever be a boy scout DG. Heck, I don't even have all of my marbles." As he said that he gently reached up and touched the zipper on his head. Even in the warmth of the fire it was cold.

DG hugged him tighter. "That doesn't matter."

He reached and took her hands in his. "It doesn't?" His gaze in to the fire remained unbroken.

"No, it doesn't," she replied. Her eyes started to mist but she did her best to maintain her composure.

"Then why won't you say yes?" He moved her hands and forced her arms apart. He turned around and put his hands on her shoulders.

DG looked up at him, the tears welling up in her eyes. Compared to Cain, Glitch's touch was soft and oh-so-gentle. Her arms hung limply at her side. "Glitch, I do love you."

"But you love Cain too, don't you?", his brown eyes looked so sad. "Everyone's been talking DG. They all say that you haven't been yourself since he's been back…. I don't think that you've been yourself either."

DG brought her hand up to her face and wiped away the tears. It was useless to lie. "Yes, I'll always love him. Even after all that's happened."

Glitch looked like he had just been stabbed. He swallowed hard and felt sick on his stomach.

She shook her head and let the tears fall. "But you were there when I needed someone."

Glitch took his hand and gently brushed aside a tear. "I don't want to just be that someone, DG."

"You're not just a someone Glitch. Maybe it started out that way but then I did fall in love in with you." She continued to look at him, her eyes begging him to believe her.

Glitch took a deep breath and pulled DG in close to him. He buried his face in her mass of black curls. He felt the rise and fall of her chest and the warmth of her arms around him. He felt the tears come to his eyes. "But you still can't say yes can you?"

DG looked up at him. In that instant she realized it was true. She tearfully replied, "Maybe someday."

They held each other for a long time in front of the fire.


	19. Chapter 19, Answers,Part 3

Chapter 19, Answers, Part 3

As Cain walked down the hallway to Jill's chamber he saw that there were two guards standing outside the door. He smirked to himself, realizing that the Queen did not waste any time after their chat. He also briefly wondered if Jill had any idea that there were now two guards at her door.

As he approached, the guards visibly stiffened. They were two young military cadets who had probably drawn the short straws when it came to the duty assignments. He was ready to knock on the door when the one shifted to his right and partially blocked the door. "Sir, how long will you be in Miss Wilkins' chamber?"

Cain's eyes turned ice-blue and he coldly replied, "As long as it takes."

The young cadet faltered under Cain's stare and moved back to his original position. The other young cadet took a quick sideways glance at both him and his fellow guard but said nothing.

Cain knocked on Jill's chamber door and said in a loud voice, "Jill! It's me Cain."

"It's open!", her familiar voice cried out.

Cain entered the room and shut the door behind him. It took his eyes a few seconds to adjust to the dim room. The only light came from the fire in the fireplace since she had the rest of the lights turned off. The heavy curtains were drawn for the evening so not even the full moon casted its light inside. Towards the far wall she was sitting next to the radio. He could tell that it was a program with live actors but nothing else.

"Mind if I sit down?" he asked as he walked over to her.

"No. Go right ahead." She paused and then added, "I see that Frick and Frack let you by."

"Huh?"

Jill grinned, "It's just an expression. When Elsie came in to check on me I opened the door and found them standing there. They didn't tell me much other than that it was a last minute assignment."

She watched him take his long duster and hat and drape them over the back of the chair. Before he sat down he placed the small package that he also brought along underneath the table. The chairs that they were sitting in were simple high back chairs that one might find in a grandmother's formal living room.

Jill reached over and turned the radio off. She crossed her arms across her chest. "I might as well come out with it. I'm in a shit load of trouble aren't I?"

Cain raised his eyebrow.

Jill added, "Why else would the Queen want to talk to you right after dinner and then post two guards outside my door?"

Cain was silent for a moment. "She's not too happy with your behavior…. Nor am I."

Jill took off her glasses and rubbed the side of her nose. Her glasses were slightly bent and by the end of the day the pressure from the nose piece had gotten to her. She placed them down on the table. In a tired voice she replied, "I already said that I was sorry for going to the Armory. I profusely apologized to Elsie tonight for making a mess of things. Do you want me to go to the Queen and apologize to her as well?"

"No. But she is holding me personally responsible for your behavior," he sternly replied.

"Oh," was the only response that Jill could muster.

He went on, "She wants me to take you to General Turnbaugh tomorrow morning to be interrogated."

A look of shock and confusion crossed Jill's face. "Interrogated?"

"Yes, interrogated. We both know that a secretary doesn't have to have a background in general sciences. She thinks that you're hiding something," he paused, "And so do I."

Jill closed her eyes and rubbed her nose and then her forehead.

Cain's face and voice softened. "Jill, I know that I haven't been able to protect you as well as I should. But if I'm going to be able to help you then you're going to have to trust me… Whatever you did, or happened to you in your world, I need to know."

_Trust?_ _Protect? _She suddenly felt very hot and her hands were sweaty. She took off her wool shawl. She took a few deep breaths and then forced herself to get started. "I graduated from high school but I dropped out of MIT and a few other colleges or as you call them, secondary schools."

"Why?" he asked with a puzzled expression on his face.

She shrugged. "Because I got bored. I barely finished high school. It was too easy so I didn't care if I went or not. And if I did go, I was picked on anyway. Surely when you went to school you had the class nerd who knew all the answers," she said sarcastically. Cain remained silent. "I never wanted to call attention to myself; to how easy things came to me. But I was able to get in to college because I aced the…" She was going to say SAT's but then realized that Cain would not have a clue as to what she was talking about. She restarted, "Because I aced the entrance exams. I took all sorts of science and math classes. You name it, I probably took it."

She squinted to look at Cain and then gave up and put her glasses back on. He just sat there with his legs crossed and his arm resting on the table.

"My parents always got so pissed at me," she lightly sneered as she recalled the typical kitchen table discussion. "Mom would always ask why I couldn't complete something for once in my life. Then Dad would chime in and tell me how much I was like his brother; how he couldn't complete school either."

Cain interrupted by asking, "What do you mean by that?"

"I never knew Dad's brother, my Uncle Bill. From what he told me, their parents wanted him to be an engineer. He told me that he went to a couple of colleges too but he never graduated from any of them. Then he went out to the mid-west and worked odd jobs out there. But then they never heard from him again. He just up and disappeared. That all happened before I was born though."

Jill stopped, took in a deep breath and continued. "I've always had odd jobs… I guess I really am like my Uncle Bill." She stopped again and tried to smile but it was a half-hearted attempt. "The secretary job is… ,well, was just a job to pay the monthly bills. Craig's life insurance policy paid off the major ones like the mortgage on the house."

"Craig?" he asked softly.

"I'm a widow. He was killed in a car accident eight months ago." Jill answered just as softly.

"I'm sorry Jill. I didn't know."

Jill shrugged her shoulders again. "It's okay… I mean, you didn't know 'cause I never told you." She sighed. "The investigators never did find out what caused his accident. His car left the road for 'undetermined causes'. Anyway, I met Craig at one of the colleges. He was the only one who ever accepted me for just being me."

Cain looked at Jill again. It was hard for him to stay angry. He started to say something but then she abruptly changed the subject. "What were the things that Sergeant Costello sent over to the Royal Academy to have examined?"

He reached in to the pocket of his duster and pulled out a block of a gray putty-like substance that was speckled with metal flakes. He put the block on the table and then reached back in to the pocket and pulled out a slip of paper. He read from it, "Do the letters RDX mean anything to you?"

Jill picked up the piece of putty. "How long have you been carrying this around?"

"Since this mornin'. Why?"

"Idiot," she replied very matter-of-factly as she continued to hold it up to what little light there was in the room.

"What did you just call me?," he asked incredulously.

"You heard me. I just called you an idiot," Jill smirked as she said it. "It's a good thing you didn't catch yourself on fire or get struck by lightning today."

Cain had had enough, "Out with it Jill."

"RDX is royal… demolition… explosion. That's the common name for cyclotrimethylene-trinitramine." She held the block of putty up closer to her face. "The thing is, I don't know what these little metal flakes are."

Cain turned white. "Do you mean to tell me that I've carried a pocket full of explosive all day?"

"Oh, don't worry about it… it's fairly stable." Jill said as she continued to study the putty. The metal flakes glistened in the faint light. "The other name for the stuff is C4. I'm sure if you said that to DG she'd turn as white as a sheet too." She glanced over at him and saw that he was making every attempt to regain his composure. "You need some sort of electric charge and probably a detonator to set it off. That's why I said that you were lucky that you weren't struck by lightning. I don't know if that would be enough to set it off or not."

By now Cain regained his self-control. "Yeah, but what about the fire part?"

"Oh that? It'll burn slow if you just hold a match to it. I'm not exactly sure what would happen if you would throw a bunch into a bonfire. It would probably set it off in the end." And with that Jill pulled the putty apart in to pieces.

Cain watched her. "How much of that stuff would you need to blow up downtown?"

Jill rolled three of the pieces in to balls. "Enough to blow up a city block or so? That's a good question. A little over a pound can take out a truck. Like I said though, I don't know what these metal flakes are. They're too small for shrapnel. I don't know if they have any additional effect or not."

Jill took the last piece of putty and formed it into the shape of a square. Then she stacked the three balls and put the square piece on top.

She propped up her sculpture on the table. "One C4 Frosty the Snowman."

"That's sick."

"Really? I think that he's kind-of cute." She snickered. "Besides, it proves my point that you can mold this in to any shape you want."

Cain furled his brow. "So we have a highly explosive material that you can make look like anything."

Jill said solemnly, "And now you know why it's the ideal explosive for terrorists back home. And now it has found its way here."

For a moment neither said anything; the only sound in the room was the crackling of the fire.

"Where did you find this?" Jill finally asked.

"This morning.., in Detective Spencer's apartment."

"And he is?..."

"He was stationed at the 9th Street Precinct and he committed suicide yesterday. Sergeant Costello and I went to his apartment to try to find out why."

Jill said quietly, "I'm so sorry."

"Detective Spencer, Sergeant Costello, and I all went to the Academy together," he paused, "There was a photo on his dresser of all of us. On the back of the photo he left us a picture. It was the Wolfsangel symbol."

Jill gasped.

"That symbol still doesn't ring a bell with you?"

Jill shook her head no. "I wish I could remember where I saw it, but I can't." She paused and then asked hesitantly, "Does this mean we're going down there tonight?"

He already knew that it was going to be useless to try to get her to stay in her room if he decided that he was going to go to the Wolfsangel Tavern. He needed her help. He needed her insight to see what was usual but unusual. But it made him feel ill, like he was taking the lamb to slaughter. He reached underneath the table and grabbed the small package. He opened it up, pulled out a shoulder holster and a small handgun. He laid them on the table and then pushed them in her direction.

"Oh how sweet Cain. Most men bring me flowers on the first date." Jill said sarcastically as she picked up the handgun.

"You're only allowed to use it if things get hot in there." He sternly replied. He stopped, looking for her reaction. "Are you sure you're up to it?" He did not know if he was making the right decision or not by giving her a gun. If he did not, he was sure she would try to get one on her own. He did not have to remind himself what happened this afternoon. But now, by giving it to her, he felt like he was encouraging it. But either way he knew he was damning her.

The handgun, though small, was still a little heavy and cold in her hand. _Saying and doing are always two different things aren't they? _

"You can wait here and listen to the radio while I change in the bathroom," she finally replied.

As she got up to leave, Cain said to her, "Don't make yourself look like an outworlder."

She turned to look at him, "Do you think that they want me here because of what I might possibly know? How I might know how to use it?"

Cain looked back at her, "Maybe, maybe not." He tried to sound optimistic, but it was a half-hearted attempt; like when she tried to smile earlier. Glitch had the gift of optimism; not him.

Jill said nothing and continued getting ready.


	20. Chapter 20, Signs and Visions

Chapter 20, Signs and Visions

Jill took one last look in the full length mirror in the bathroom. She had dressed herself in a long wool brown skirt, a simple off white long sleeved shirt, and a matching long-line wool flared jacket. Dark brown riding boots complimented her outfit. Even though the flared jacket hid the holster and gun well, it did not make it any more comfortable. It was heavy and felt awkward. _The boy scout motto is to be prepared, right?_ She thought to herself; trying to drum up some self-encouragement. As she smoothed a few unruly hairs in to place she knew that no matter how many gung-ho mottos she remembered, it was not going to make it any easier. _Jill, what are you turning in to?_

She took a deep breath, and emerged from the bathroom. Cain got up and looked at her.

"Elsie told me that it's a winter riding habit but I think that it looks alright to wear there." She added quietly, "Besides the jacket will cover up the holster."

Cain nodded his head in agreement and tried to sound encouraging, "You look just fine."

They left her chamber and were stopped again by the same military cadet who had questioned Cain earlier in the evening.

"Sir, where are you taking Miss Wilkins?" the young cadet asked with a slight pitchiness to his voice.

"We're going out," gruffly replied Cain.

The cadet nodded to his companion and made yet another attempt to sound tough, "One of us must accompany her at all times."

Cain let his thin lips form a condescending smile, "No. You don't. As long as she's with me, she's escorted. The Queen's direct orders to me were that Miss Wilkins is either escorted by me or with a guard. Not both. Is that understood? _Cadet_."

The young cadet faltered under Cain's steely stare and could only meekly nod his head in concurrence.

As Cain and Jill walked down the hallway, the young cadet regained his self-control and told his companion, "Alert Captain Bower that Major Cain has taken Miss Wilkins from her chamber."

* * *

As they exited the palace grounds they saw Jeb across the street. Cain waved his arm and yelled, "Jeb!" He turned, saw his father and Jill, and ran across the street; dodging traffic. Horns blared as he ran around the automobiles that slowed down to avoid hitting him.

Jeb caught his breath and asked, "Where are you guys going?"

"I was getting ready to ask you the same thing," replied Cain. He noticed that his son had his uniform jacket unbuttoned, "Are you done for the night?"

They started walking down the sidewalk. Jeb answered, "Yeah, one of the guys asked me if I would switch shifts with him. I have tonight off and then will work for the next couple. So… just where are you guys going?"

As they walked down the sidewalk, Cain told Jeb of his conversation with the Queen and then with Jill. However, he left out the part where the Queen told him to leave DG alone. That was for him and him alone. Jeb was mostly silent through the entire story but occasionally looked at Jill and just shook his head.

When Cain was finished, he asked his son, "So, do you want to go to the Wolfsangel Tavern with us?" He let his hand drift down to his side and added, "I'm sure we could use the company."

Jeb knew what his father was implying and the seriousness of the situation. Without missing a beat he put his hand on his father's shoulder and said, "I could go for a pint of ale."

* * *

DG was alone in her chamber. The fire burned low in the fireplace and only the moon light shone in the room.

She was in her bed, her fleece blanket pulled tightly around her. She had been softly crying in to her pillow but then drifted off to a fitful sleep. Her body twitched and she moaned; she silently mouthed "No Cain no."

The beginning of her nightmare was interrupted by a blood curdling scream.

She rose up startled and confused. She was not sure where she was or what had woken her.

There was another blood curdling scream.

She jumped up and quickly put on her shoes that were lying near the edge of her bed. As she ran to her door she thought, _"Oh god! Not again!"_

* * *

The Wolfsangel Tavern sign creaked in the slight wind as Cain held the door open for Jeb and Jill to enter. As he held the door open they were struck by the noisy bustling of people and conversation.

All three stood slightly inside the doorway. The tavern was crowded and all of the long, family-style tables were filled. Jeb started to make his way towards the bar. Jill felt a hand near the small of her back and she jumped out of surprise. A familiar voice whispered in her ear, "You can't be so jumpy if you're going to be my date." Jill turned her head slightly and smartly whispered back, "Just because you gave me a gun doesn't mean that you can get to first base." And with that she made her way through the crowd after Jeb.

Electric lamps with simple pale green glass shades hung from the ceiling and gave off a muted light. Two large field stone fireplaces lined the far wall. A wide staircase leading up to the second floor was also against the same far wall. Large dark wooden beams lined the ceiling. The tables and bar were made out of the same dark wood and all were intentionally rough-cut. It all gave the tavern a rustic lodge feel.

As they reached the bar they found that Jeb had already ordered their drinks and was waiting on the barkeep to draw them out of the tap. Somehow he also managed to find an empty stool. Cain motioned for Jill to sit down and he and Jeb stood on either side of her; shielding her from the other patrons.

Jill coughed and cleared her throat. Some of the patrons near her were smoking. As she looked around she saw that the tavern was further decorated with stuffed heads of bears, deer, and some she did not recognize, coats of arms, and various medieval looking weapons mounted on the walls. Her attention then turned to the two wrought iron symbols mounted above the fireplaces. One was a vertical line branching at the top in to three smaller lines. The other was a diamond on top of an upside down vee.

The barkeep brought over three frothy steins of beer and set them down in front of Jeb. He paid and passed one down to his father. He was ready to pass the other one to Jill and saw her looking away from them, over at the fire places.

Jeb tapped Jill on the shoulder with one hand and held the stein of beer out to her with the other. "Jill?"

Cain looked down at her. She still had not acknowledged Jeb. "Jill, what is it?"

Jill reached for the beer from Jeb. "I think that we need to try to find some history books from my world."

* * *

The young cadet that had attempted to stand up to Cain heard the blood curdling scream. He ran down the hallway; attempting to find the source. He heard it again and then realized that it was coming from Azkadellia's private chamber.

He and another guard that had arrived at the same got ready to enter the chamber.

DG came running around the corner down the far end of the hallway. She saw the two guards. She screamed out, "WAIT!"

It was too late.

The guards opened the door and took a step inside Azkadellia's chamber.

DG heard the shattering of glass and the screams of the guards in terror. Then she saw large shards of glass bounce off the wall across from Az's chamber door.

She continued running until she reached the chamber door and it was there that she stopped in horror. A pool of blood began to form around the broken glass underneath her feet.

The bodies of the guards were crumpled on the floor. Their eyes were wide open and their faces were contorted in silent horror. Large shards of the broken windows stuck out from their bodies.

The heavy curtains rustled from the slight breeze that now entered the room. The fire was blown out and the only light in the room came from the moonlight. Azkadellia stood near one of the windows, running her fingers gently over top of one of the broken panes. She was dressed only in her white nightgown. She cut her finger and cocked her head as she watched the blood slowly drip on to the pane.

DG took a step around the bodies and the glass crunched underneath her foot. Azkadellia stopped and looked up, but did not turn around.

DG took another few steps and the glass continued to crunch underneath her feet. "Az?" _Oh god Az, please turn around._

Azkadellia turned around and took a few steps towards DG. She was bare foot and seemed totally oblivious to the shards of glass underneath her feet. Blood began to ooze from the cuts.

"Az…. please….please sit down on your bed with me," DG begged of her sister.

Azkadellia slowly shook her head no. "She's still with me you know," she said in a hauntingly seductive voice.

DG turned white and said in the strongest voice she could, "Az, no she's not. She's not part of you any more." She then tried to clear her thoughts and will her magic. In her mind she cried out, _Mother!_, and as she did so a faint glow came out of her clenched fist.

Azkadellia took a few more steps towards DG. The glass cut deeper in to her feet but yet she did not cry out. "I can see her savior DG." She paused and then added, "I see him. He's holding his hands out to me." Her eyes faded out of focus.

DG grew alarmed at the vision that Azkadellia was having. "Az! Who do you see?!"

"She will reward him… I will reward him," she replied. Her eyes suddenly flamed in anger. "YOU KILLED ME!"

Azkadellia raised her hands. Before DG could react, Azkadellia willed her magic and it took a hold of DG; binding her in its invisible power. An eerily pale green light engulfed her and it lifted her a few inches off of the floor.

DG struggled against the unseen force. She gagged as the force closed tighter around her throat. Azkadellia began giggling. Then it grew maniacal as she watched her sister struggle to breathe.

DG could hear footsteps running down the hallway. The murmured voices became louder and she recognized her mother's and father's voices, and then the voices of men.

She tried to remain calm. She recalled a new memory of her and Az at Fanaqqua, late last summer, walking hand in hand near the shore. She called forth the light to come as she remembered how Az laughed as they skipped stones across the lake. Az was happy and it was like old times again.

The magic erupted from within her. The force that had closed around her throat disappeared and the pale green light that had engulfed her vanished. She stretched out her arms and let the soft warmth run through them.

The light hit Azkadellia and she was thrown backwards. She stumbled towards the broken window.


	21. Chapter 21, Blackmail

Chapter 21, Blackmail

Cain first felt a tap, and then a hand being placed on his shoulder. He started to turn around and then abruptly stopped as he felt the barrel of a gun being pushed in to his side.

"Why, it's Wyatt fucking Cain!," said the familiar voice.

"Antoine Demilo." Cain replied in an icy-cold voice.

Demilo slapped his shoulder and asked loudly, "How the hell have you been?"

Jeb, who had been leaning up against the bar, stood up at attention. His gut told him that something was not right. Jill also noticeably stiffened.

"You were always the silent type," Demilo said without waiting for Cain's reply. He looked at Jill, "I just need to borrow Wyatt here for a few minutes and then you two lovebirds can go back to whatever it was you were doin'." His gaze shifted to Cain, "You don't mind having a quick talk do you?", he asked as he shoved the barrel of the gun deeper in to Cain's side.

Cain stiffened and his face continued to harden. He stared at Demilo and snarled, "Of course not." He looked at Jill and then Jeb and told them, "Wait here, I'll be right back."

As they made their way to the staircase side-by-side, Demilo commented, "I take it that you're not fucking that princess anymore." Then he added, "That's too bad. She was a lot more lively than that nerdy broad you're hangin' out with now." Cain's fists clenched together as he refused to dignify Demilo's comments with an answer.

They reached the stairs and Demilo forced Cain to the outside, so that he would be between the railing and himself. Demilo nodded and smiled to the other tavern patrons coming down the stairs. After they passed, he continued his one-sided conversation, "Man, did my jaw drop when I found it was the great ex-Tin Man and hero of the O.Z. that killed her parents… execution style; just because they walked in on you fucking her."

Cain had had enough. They reached the top of the stairs and Cain grabbed Demilo's shoulders and half-shoved, half-drove him to the nearest wall. Cain growled, "It didn't happen like that." Some of the patrons looked up from their meals and stopped their conversations. Demilo swallowed hard as Cain's eyes burned in to him. The noisy din quieted and Cain took note of it. He turned to the room and quickly smiled, and then smoothed the wrinkles from Demilo's jacket. As he did so he quietly hissed, "Smile Demilo."

Demilo quickly smiled to the crowd and regained his composure. The patrons that had been looking at them returned to their conversations and the noisy din of the room returned.

Out of the corner of his eye Demilo spotted an open table. "Go over there," he motioned to Cain using the hand that was in his jacket pocket; concealing his gun.

In a few short steps they reached the table and sat down. Demilo took his free hand and brushed some dust off of his jacket. Cain realized that he had not changed much. He still had his old sleazy entertainer look complete with his customary gold earrings. But his new gig was that he was carrying a gun and trying to act like a tough henchman. It disturbed him.

Cain sternly asked him, "Why the gun Demilo?"

Demilo looked over at him, "Oh that? It's a requirement for my new job."

"Your new job?"

"Yeah Cain, everybody's gotta' earn a living somehow. I wasn't left with too much after you stole my wagon and left it stranded in the fucking north you know," Demilo scoffed.

Cain coldly replied, "We didn't steal it. You told us how to start it."

"Whatever," Demilo replied with disdain. "After your little band of goodie-two-shoes killed the sorceress, the Queen and her husband started their clean-up. I lost my business and the twins."

Cain was growing tired and irritable, "This isn't like you Demilo."

Demilo glared at him. "And just when did you become an expert on my type?"

"Then cut to the chase Demilo, what do you want?"

"My boss sent me here to make you an offer Cain."

"I don't take offers from two-bit slime balls like you," said Cain. He started to rise from his chair.

Demilo smiled and said, "I don't think so. See those two boys over there by the double doors? They don't want you to leave right away either."

Cain sat back down and scowled. He let his eyes wander over to the other wall and just like Demilo said, saw two men standing near a set of deep, blood-red double doors. One smoked while the other leaned against the wall, with a glass of some kind of alcohol in his hand. Each took the occasional glance over at them. They brazenly carried their guns in the open. Cain squinted to see them more clearly and what he saw shocked him; the guns that the henchmen carried were police regulation. He continued to give them the once-over and found that they were also wearing standard issue police uniforms underneath their long coats.

Demilo saw Cain looking the henchmen over. He said soberly, "The Queen may be back in charge but it's still hard times for most people." He pushed those thoughts aside and reminded himself why he was here. He took his free hand, reached in to his inside jacket pocket and pulled out a silver disc. He threw it on the table.

Cain looked at it, "What's that?"

Demilo sneered, "A picture disc full of the royal household's dirty little secrets. There's Lord Ahamo and his mistress. Princess Azkadellia losing her marbles and killing soldiers with her magic. Princess Dorothy fucking old geezers in the House of Lords to buy their loyalty to the Queen." He paused and then smiled, "You're photogenic self is on it too. It shows you planting those explosives used in the attack."

"Liar," growled Cain.

Demilo smiled. He was starting to enjoy his new found power over the old Tin Man. He started to believe that he could actually make this new gig work. "Really? Okay, maybe yours was staged. But believe you me, the others weren't."

Cain continued to glare at him. He already knew that Azkadellia went insane. Did she go as far as killing soldiers? Maybe. Would the palace try to cover it up? Probably. Would he be surprised if Lord Ahamo decided to take on a mistress? A little. But DG selling herself to keep the lords in line? No way.

Demilo studied him and then said, "Oh come on Cain, don't be such an idiot. No one in that royal house is as noble as you are, including your precious princess."

He went on with his one-sided conversation. "After you went off with your little clean-up brigade, the House of Lords started a revolt. Then, just like that," Demilo snapped his fingers, "it was over. That's when the rumors started to circulate that they were bought off. Some with money, some with land, and others…for sex. The Queen did what she had to do if she wanted to save her precious O.Z. And you know that the princess does her own thing. She went along willingly. Rumor is that she actually _liked_ it."

Cain could stay silent any longer. He slammed his hands down on the table and leaned forward, "You're a fucking liar Demilo!"

There was a moment of silence. Demilo picked up the silver disc and let the light play off of it for a moment before he put it away in his jacket pocket. He replied, "As they say in her world, _a picture is worth a thousand words._ Turn her over and this all goes away real quietly."

"And if I don't turn her over?" Cain challenged.

"I know that you would take the high road and sacrifice yourself, but what about the others? Are you going to let them fall?" sneered Demilo again. He rose from the table without waiting for Cain to answer. He knew what it would be. "We're all going to go downstairs and then leave this joint together. Real quietly, remember?"

* * *

Jeb was strumming his fingers on the bar. He kept his back to the bar and was warily watching all of the patrons. If he was not watching the patrons his attention turned back towards the staircase. He was waiting for his father to come down at any moment. Meanwhile Jill had her hands in her outside pockets, but every now and then she reached in to her inside pocket. Jeb thought to himself that she was fidgeting too much. If she did much more of it he was going to have to say something to her.

Jill finally said, "It's been too long hasn't it?"

Jeb nodded.

"Turn around and put your arm around me," Jill whispered.

Jeb looked confused, "What?"

"Just do it."

Jeb did what he was told. From the viewpoint of any other patron in the tavern, it only looked like they were getting cozy.

Jill whispered, "There's two things that you need to know. First, I'm packing."

Jeb whispered back, "Ummm…. Where are you packing to go?"

_Good one Jill, so much for trying to use 'street talk'. _"Your father gave me a gun," she said as quietly as she could through clenched teeth.

"He did what?!" Jeb exclaimed in a loud, angrily whispered voice.

"Shh!! Keep your freaking voice down… if your Dad didn't get me one I was going to get it on my own eventually. … The second is that you need to have some of these." She reached in to her inside pocket and handed Jeb a few tiny balls of the C4. "It's an explosive. But the balls should be small enough that if you throw them in to the fire it'll just cause a distraction.. Hopefully… It shouldn't bring the whole place down. "

Jeb raised his eyebrows, "Shouldn't? That's a comforting thought."

"And don't get any ideas about leaving me here either," she said with resolution.

Jeb looked at her. He knew that it going to be useless to argue. "Alright. You're going to get up, walk over to the staircase and stand as close as you can to the back wall. Once you're there, I'll get up and throw some of those balls in to the fire place… Ready?"

Jill nodded her head yes. _God I hope I'm right. _

She got up from her stool and started to make her way over to the staircase. Surprisingly the tavern had not cleared out at all. At least there was no one standing near the fireplaces. She climbed the first step of the staircase and stood along the back wall as Jeb told her to do. Then Jeb got up and quickly walked by the first fireplace and threw a few of the balls in to it; then quickly did the same thing to the second fire place. He reached Jill and stood alongside her. For a moment neither thought that it was going to work.

_BOOM! SNAP! CRACK! WHOOSH! _

It was enough to scare the piss out of anyone who was standing nearby. Some of the embers were thrown out of the fireplaces and landed on nearby patrons and tables. Some screamed in pain as the embers hit them. Then a few of the women started to scream out of terror and others ran to the door. Acrid smoke began to fill the air. That was all that was needed to start the commotion. Jeb, followed by Jill right behind, started up the stairs.

* * *

Upstairs the noisy din died down and then stopped as the commotion from downstairs increased. A few of the patrons stood up and those nearest to the staircase looked down it to see what was going on. They saw the smoke and started yelling "FIRE!" Everybody started to run towards the fire escape that was outside one of the windows.

It provided Cain the opportunity that he needed.

Cain grabbed the edge of the table and upended it towards Demilo. He knew that no matter how tough Demilo tried to act, at the end of the day, he was a lover, not a fighter. It took Demilo by surprise and he stumbled backwards towards the wall. As he did so he tripped over the chair he was sitting in and he hit the floor.

The two henchmen who had been guarding the double-doors rushed through the patrons, heading towards Cain. The first man threw a punch at him. Cain dodged it and threw back his own. His fist landed squarely on the man's jaw, stunning him.

The second man lunged at Cain but to his surprise was taken a hold of from the back. Jeb grabbed at him and with all his might, twisted him towards the floor. The man shook loose and threw off his grip. Both Jeb and Cain struggled and exchanged body blows against the men; trying to beat them in to submission.

The smoke began to drift up the staircase and there were the continued shouts of men down below. Some of the flying embers had started small fires within the tavern.

Demilo crawled out from underneath the fight and saw Jill near the staircase.

He regained his footing and clumsily lunged at her.

Jill tried to sidestep his lunge and almost avoided it, but she lost her footing on the slippery hard wood floor. Demilo reached out with his arm as he was falling and grabbed at the lower part of her leg. It caused her to fall awkwardly and she landed on her side with a hard thud.

It took Jill a moment to reorient herself and she rolled away from him.

Demilo was back on his feet before Jill was and he grabbed at her; trying to pick her up and drag her along all at the same time. She yelled out in pain and anger. She struggled and stomped the heel of her boot into Demilo's foot. He screamed in pain and it allowed her a chance to get one arm free. Demilo's arms were still around her chest and her other arm in a bear hug though, so she could not reach her gun. She fumbled around and found the inside pocket of her jacket. She reached in and with her remaining strength, awkwardly threw the rest of the balls of C4 in to the nearby fire place. She prayed that at least one of them made it.

It took a moment but then the familiar sounds of _BOOM! CRACK! and WHOOSH! _came.

But the sounds were louder this time. Lady Luck made an appearance and more than just one had landed in the fire place. Nearly all of the embers and small bits of charred wood were sent flying across the room. Some bounced off of Demilo and Jill and they both cried out as Demilo released his grip and attempted to shield his face. They staggered away from each other. Jill regained her footing and drew her gun from her holster. She pointed it at Demilo.

Cain and the henchman continued to thrash about. Cain punched him yet again and the henchman doubled over. As he rose back up he pulled his gun out of his side holster. Cain lunged at him and drove him as hard as he could in to the nearest wall. The move momentarily stunned him and Cain reached for the gun; trying to smash it out of the henchman's hand.

Jeb's fight was done. He had grabbed the guy and smashed his head on top of one of the wooden tables a few times. Jeb took the back of his hand and brought it up gently to the side of his mouth. He looked back down at it and saw that it was covered with his blood.

There was a gunshot and Cain screamed out "No!" Out of the corner of his eye he saw Demilo fall to the floor with a heavy thud. The henchman was near collapse. Cain reared back and threw one last punch. The henchman's eyes finally faded out of focus and then closed as his legs gave way. He slid down the wall.

Jeb looked over and cried out to Jill, "WHAT DID YOU DO?!" He stumbled over a chair in his haste to get to where she was standing.

By now Jill had dropped the gun down to her side. She was horrified at the sight of Demilo. There was a large gaping hole in his forehead that was gushing blood. The stray bullet had entered Demilo in the back of his head. She yelled back, trembling as she did so, "I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING! THAT OTHER GUN WENT OFF!"

Both Cain and Jeb reached the lifeless body of Demilo. Cain knelt down and closed his eyes. Then he reached in to Demilo's pockets. He was searching for the picture disc. He found it and held it up to the light to make sure that it looked like the right one.

Jeb asked, "What's that?"

Cain dryly replied, "A picture disc. Demilo was trying to blackmail me in to handing Jill over to him."

"You knew him well?", Jill asked softly.

"Yeah, we went back aways. He was one of the first cons I ever arrested." _Damn it Demilo, why did you have to get involved?_

Smoke continued to pour out of the fire place and more smoke drifted up the staircase.

Cain stood up. He put his hands on Jill's shoulders and asked, "Are you okay?" He saw where a piece of charred wood struck her on the forehead; leaving a mark of ash. He went to brush it away and she jerked her head away with an "Ow."

But then she then replied, "Yeah, I'll be all right. But we better get out of here."

Cain said to Jeb, "Help Jill down the fire escape. I'm going to get Demilo."

Jeb asked, "Why?"

"He might have been a sleaze but he deserves a proper burial in the ground, not in a burning building."

* * *

The fire escape led to a small alley next to the tavern. They saw fire trucks and police cruisers in the main street. Cain and Jeb gently laid Demilo's body on the far side of the alley. Jill gave Cain a handkerchief to lay over his face. It was the best that they could do under the circumstances. The henchmen carried police regulation handguns and wore police uniforms. Right now, none of them, including Cain, could trust the police.

They ran away in to the night.


	22. Chapter 22, Insanity

Chapter 22, Insanity

"Oh God Az! No!!," screamed DG.

DG took a deep breath and held out her arms again. Nothing happened. _"NOOOOOO!"_

"Az!" she screamed as she ran towards her. Azkadellia fell in to the broken window and it shattered under her weight.

She started to fall backwards towards the courtyard.

DG reached the window and gaped in horror. She reached out and screamed again, "AZ!!" She heard footsteps behind her. Her mother and father were calling out to her and Azkadellia. Men were shouting for help for their fallen comrades.

Then it happened.

An eerily green light engulfed Azkadellia. It started out pale and then brightened in intensity as she fell closer to the ground. It became so bright that DG had to shield her eyes.

The voice in Azkadellia's mind whispered, "I will protect you my Queen."

Then it was over.

There were no sickening sounds of death. There was only the faint tinkling of the shattered glass on to the courtyard.

DG sensed that the light was gone and brought her hands down from her face, afraid of what she might see.

Azkadellia was on her back with her arms crossed over her chest. She looked peaceful, like she had just fallen asleep in her bed, not five stories.

The guards who were on the ground pointed their rifles at her. There was no running, no crying out for help for the fallen princess. They were afraid. They had heard the stories that their comrades were slain by her; both in the past and now in the present. They formed a large circle around her.

The Queen and Lord Ahamo reached the window and pushed DG out of the way. The Queen yelled out Azkadellia's name out of both terror and fear of what she might find. They were as shocked as DG to find her peacefully lying on her back. DG said, "A light appeared around her and she just kind of floated to the ground. I couldn't watch all of it because the magic was too bright."

"Thank the gods that they have found favor with her," the Queen softly spoke aloud. She and Ahamo then turned and went to run from the room but stopped abruptly.

It was at that moment that they both shockingly realized what Azkadellia had done to the two guards that had entered her room.

The blood began to seep through the Queen's slippers and a look of revulsion crossed her face. She looked down and gingerly stepped to one side of where the slain guards were laying.

The other guards that had accompanied her and Ahamo were kneeling beside their brethren. They had taken sheets from Azkadellia's bed to cover the bodies but it did not take long for them to become drenched with blood.

The leader of the group was Captain Bower. The Queen now recognized him. He often escorted her daughters when they traveled in the city and he was with Azkadellia and DG yesterday.

He rose to his feet but did not salute her. He stated very coldly "Your highness, these men are dead."

The Queen answered him as she started to pick her way across the glass in order to get to the door, "Yes Captain Bower they are. Please take them down to the infirmary." She distractedly said it; her thoughts were focused on Azkadellia.

Captain Bower glared at both her and Ahamo. "They are dead. Taking them to the infirmary is not going to help them now."

The Queen stopped in the doorway. She turned and glowered at him. "You know as well as I do that the palace does not have a morgue. Take them to the infirmary until their next of kin are notified. Right now we need to get to my daughter." She did not wait to hear his response and Ahamo followed her out the door.

DG took one last look at Azkadellia. She was relieved to see that her sister was not dead but it unexpectedly struck her, _why was your magic green?_

She dashed across the room and took a glancing look at Captain Bower. As she left she saw that his face was contorted in anger.

* * *

It seemed like forever but they finally reached the courtyard on to which Azkadellia had landed. She was still lying there motionless while the guards continued to surround her. They did not walk any closer to her nor did they drop their rifles. They were anxiously waiting to see if she moved.

As the three of them approached and ran through the circle of guards, the Queen ordered to the nearest soldier, "Get Dr. Addison, NOW!"

The Queen and DG dropped to their knees beside her. DG cradled Azkadellia's head and pleaded, "Please Az, wake up… wake up." Ahamo stood silently behind his wife.

Azkadellia's eyes fluttered open. She saw her parents and her sister looking down at her. She saw the moon and the stars. _How did I get outside? _It puzzled her. She quietly and innocently asked, "Where am I? What am I doing here?"

The Queen started to cry and Lord Ahamo put his hand on his wife's shoulder. She brushed him off and then pushed DG away. She pulled Azkadellia in close to her and cried harder. Azkadellia grew alarmed, "What did I do Mother?"

Then Azkadellia felt the sharp pain from walking on the shards of glass bare foot. Most of the cuts were deep and were bleeding profusely. She cried out from the sudden awareness of it.

Then her torment began.

She grabbed a hold of her mother's dress with her fists. "WHAT HAVE I DONE?!" she screamed. "WHAT HAVE I DONE?!" she demanded of her mother. A vision of breaking glass and blood crossed her besieged mind. She shook her mother violently and the unexpected action caused her to fall over backwards into Ahamo's legs; causing him to stumble backwards as well. Azkadellia lunged at her mother, tugging and ripping at her dress while all the time screaming "WHAT HAVE I DONE?!"

DG grabbed Azkadellia from behind and tried to pull her off of their mother. She cried out, "AZ! Stop it! STOP IT!"

Azkadellia threw her off and the same pale green light erupted from her outstretched hand. Before DG could react, it hit her squarely in the chest and knocked her backwards. Her head hit the walkway with a sickening thud.

The highest ranking soldier of the guards that had surrounded Azkadellia cried out, "MEN, STAND YOUR GROUND!!... GET READY TO FIRE ON MY COMMAND!!" Princess or no princess, he was not going to allow any more bloodshed tonight. He did not know what happened in her chamber but instinctively knew that it was not good, it involved Azkadellia, and that someone probably died… again.

Ahamo rose to his feet and tackled his daughter from behind. They fell to the ground and Azkadellia screamed from the pain of hitting the flagstone. He held her down in a bear hug as she continued to struggle. She cried out in frustration.

The Queen regained her senses and jumped to her feet. Her dress was torn and her hair was disheveled. "YOUR MEN WILL NOT FIRE UPON MY DAUGHTER!" she screamed so loudly that her voice cracked. She glanced over at DG lying motionless on the ground and the tears started to flow again. But then she heard Azkadellia howl out in anger and frustration once more. She was kicking and screaming at her father. Ahamo still tightly embraced her and they rolled back and forth on the ground. His hair which had been neatly tied back came undone and he was breathing hard from the effort of trying to control his daughter. Beads of sweat formed on his brow. The Queen grabbed a hold of Azkadellia's legs and prayed for Dr. Addison to hurry.

Dr. Addison and the guard that had gone to fetch him came running. He carried a small black bag that resembled an old-fashioned doctor's bag.

By now DG was beginning to rouse up. Her eyes quivered open but she was groggy and confused.

Dr. Addison dropped to his knees next to Azkadellia. "Hold her still!" he commanded to Ahamo and the Queen. Azkadellia was still crying out but had started to grow tired from her efforts.

He opened his bag and pulled out a large syringe and a brown bottle of liquid. He filled the syringe with the contents of the bottle. He then leaned over and thrust the syringe into Azkadellia's thigh. She screamed something incoherent and a green light formed in her fists.

Ahamo asked through clenched teeth, "What are you giving her?"

Dr. Addison looked back at him and calmly replied, "A sedative. It should take effect shortly."

The Queen took a sideways glance at Dr. Addison. She still had a hold of Azkadellia's legs. "Xavier, please, please see to DG. She hit her head on the ground and still has not woken up."

But by then DG had pushed herself up in to a sitting position. Through the throbbing pain in the back of her head she heard her mother say something. She looked up and as her vision came in to focus found Dr. Addison walking towards her. She raised her hand to the back of her head and gingerly touched it; it felt wet and sticky.

Dr. Addison knelt down beside her. He looked at the back of her head and said in a soothing voice, "You have taken a nasty fall my child." He reached in to his black bag beside him. He had pulled out another syringe and was filling it with the contents of a different bottle.

"No!" yelled DG as she scooted a little bit away from him. Her head continued to throb but _that was a good thing, right_? She thought to herself. Then she told Dr. Addison, "I'll be alright."

Dr. Addison's green eyes flashed in the moonlight. To her alarm DG realized that they were the same shade of green that Azkadellia's magic had become. He moved towards her and held out his hand, "Please Princess Dorothy, let me help you." His other hand held the syringe.

DG staggered to her feet. She spotted her mother and father. They were no longer struggling to hold Azkadellia down. The sedative had taken effect and Azkadellia was limp. Ahamo was cradling her in his arms and her mother was stroking her hair; whispering something that she could not hear.

"I _said_ that I would be all right!" Even though she had tried to sound authoritative, her voice sounded tired and weak. By now her whole body started to ache and she gritted her teeth to hold it in.

Dr. Addison continued to walk toward her. He beseeched her one last time, "Please Princess Dorothy. You have suffered a head wound and are confused. Let me help you." His green eyes flashed again in the moon light and he moved so that he was blocking her way. He took a hold of her arm; gently at first and then more firmly. His grip started to hurt. With a sneer he insisted, "You need to take a long rest Princess Dorothy."

"Leave me alone!" With what strength she had left she violently shook her arm free of his grasp. She saw him raise his other hand. It was the hand that had the syringe. He raised it up and was ready to bring it down, ready to jab her anywhere he could. The Queen yelled out, "DG! STOP IT RIGHT NOW!" He lunged at her.

DG raised and crossed her arms to block Dr. Addison's downward thrust of his arm. She used her left hand to grab his wrist and her other hand to grab further up his arm. Her stance was solid and she used her right leg to trip him as her arms guided his weight away from her. He fell crashing to the flagstone. He cried out, "Ow!" which was quickly followed up with an "Oh no! No! No! No!" It was a fleeting instant of poetic justice. He rolled over on to his back and pulled the syringe from his stomach. He glared at DG and then his eye lids started to flutter and then finally close. "Serves you right," DG said to him as she half-stepped and half-stumbled over him.

She walked unsteadily over to her parents and to Azkadellia.

The Queen rose to her feet. "What have you done?" she asked harshly. "Dr. Addison was trying to help you." She grabbed DG's shoulders and roughly turned her around. She looked at the back of DG's head which was now caked with blood. "You are going to need stitches."

DG shook herself from her mother's grasp. "I'm fine. What about Az?"

"She's sedated," replied her mother curtly. "And no, you are not fine. Sit down until we can get another doctor to look at you."

Ahamo gently laid Azkadellia on the ground. He stood up and realized that the guards were still pointing their rifles at them. "STAND DOWN!" he bellowed as loudly as he could.

The soldier that had commanded the other guards to stand their ground approached Ahamo. The other guards dropped their rifles only slightly.

"WHO ARE YOU?!" demanded Ahamo.

"That is Lieutenant Callahan!" replied Captain Bower as he approached Ahamo from behind. He saw Azkadellia's limp body. "Is she dead?"

"NO! She's not dead! Dr. Addison sedated her," answered Ahamo.

Both the lieutenant and Captain Bower turned and saw Dr. Addison lying on the ground. Captain Bower asked, "And what has happened to Dr. Addison?" The Queen spoke up, "He has accidentally sedated himself."

She walked over and stood in front of the captain. Her eyebrows furled together and in her most authoritative voice told him, "You will have these men stand down immediately or the whole lot of you will be taken to the stockade on grounds of mutiny."

Captain Bower stared at her. Finally he relented, "STAND DOWN!" Upon his command the guards dropped the ends of their rifles to the ground. "Your highness, this does not change the fact that the princess has murdered two more guards."

The Queen let loose her fury, "Neither you, nor myself knows what happened in her chamber! And until the incident is investigated you will not spread lies or rumors that imply that Azkadellia deliberately killed those men! Is that understood?"

He refused to immediately answer. When he finally did, all he said was, "Of course your highness."

Ahamo then ordered him and the lieutenant, "Bring three stretchers to take my daughters and Dr. Addison to the infirmary."

Captain Bower was short in his reply, "Yes sir." He then started barking orders to the rest of the guards.

Throughout the display, DG had said nothing. She was distracted by her own thoughts. As she held her head, she continued to think of Azkadellia and her green magic. She had not realized what color it had changed to until tonight. And then there was Dr. Addison. He could say "please" and "my child" all he wanted but he was ready to forcefully stick her with that freaking needle. And those green eyes. She briefly wondered if she had lost her mind due to her head wound. But then she remembered the evening's dinner conversation. Both Cain and Jill had found fault with some of Dr. Addison's answers. Those green eyes flashed the same color of Az's magic.

Somehow she had to find Cain again and talk to him.


	23. Chapter 23, Storm Clouds

Chapter 23, Storm Clouds

The first rays of dawn started to shine through Central City.

Jill awoke and sat up in bed. It took a few seconds but she re-recognized her surroundings. She was back in the Cains' house.

As she put her glasses back on she saw the handgun on the nightstand. She placed her hand on the left side of her chest and ran her fingers down the leather straps of the holster. With dismay she realized once again that last night was no dream. She took the handgun and put it back in its home. Muted voices drifted up from downstairs and she cautiously went to the door. She opened it a crack and heard the familiar voices of Cain and Jeb. It was comforting.

She walked back over to the dresser and looked at herself in the mirror. She had a slight bruise where the piece of charred wood had hit her from the night before. She touched it gingerly. It hurt. _Of course it would hurt_, _it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that one out._

She grabbed the riding jacket from the end of the bed, put it on, and then opened the door further. She slowly walked down the steps. Cain was sitting in the chair next to the radio and Jeb was sitting on the couch. Both held mugs of steaming coffee. Their rifles were propped up beside them.

Cain looked up and said, "Mornin' Jill."

She continued down the steps and stood in front of the staircase. Jeb asked, "How did you sleep?"

"Okay I guess for what I got. Did you guys get any?" Jill asked with a look of concern. Both looked weary and had faint dark circles under their eyes. She thought that Jeb's lower lip looked slightly swelled and that Cain had a very faint bruise on his cheek. She had offered to take a watch but of course was refuted and sent to her room.

She walked in to the kitchen to get some coffee. Jeb replied loudly so that she could hear, "We got a little… How's your head?"

"It only hurts when I poke at it," she answered as she poured herself some of the steaming brew. She held the mug in both hands as she re-entered the room and sat down in the other chair.

"The burning of the Wolfsangel Tavern made the front page," Cain said as he tossed the morning paper at her.

Jill put the mug down on the floor and held the paper with both hands. She quickly scanned the article. It listed the cause of the fire as suspicious and that it was under investigation. It also stated that a body was found outside of the tavern and that the police were treating it as a homicide.

"Do you think that anyone would have recognized us?"

"I don't know. The bartender wasn't the one that I usually see," replied Cain. Jeb shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know either. After Dad went upstairs most people ignored us."

For a moment neither said anything. Jeb turned around and pulled back the curtain a little to look outside. The city was beginning to wake up. It appeared to be business as usual for the old city.

Cain looked at Jill and let his eyes drift to the side of her chest. He wondered if she was _packing_. Jeb told him of the expression after she was sent to bed. Why else would have she put on her riding jacket? "Jeb needs to report back to the barracks. And we need to report to General Turnbaugh this morning." Cain said to her.

"So we're going to act like nothing at all happened?" she asked incredulously. The memory of Antoine lying in front of her with some of his forehead missing flashed before her eyes. In only a few short days she had enough nightmare material for the next twenty years.

Cain stated quite plainly, "We'll be rousing suspicion if we don't go."

"Dad's right. I don't like it either but I have to report for duty like I do any other time. There'll be more questions and more trouble if I don't." Jeb added as he rose up to leave.

Cain slowly and wearily stood up. Jill could tell that the prior night's fighting and lack of sleep were starting to take their toll. He walked over to Jeb. "Be careful son," he whispered as he hugged him.

"I will Dad." Jeb pulled away from his father's loose embrace. "What are you going to do about that picture disc?"

"Give it to the Queen," he dryly replied. "It's evidence."

"Do you think that any of it is really true?"

Cain said nothing for a moment. "I think that most of it has been fabricated." His thoughts drifted to DG. He was still doubtful that she gave her body to the men in the House of Lords in exchange for peace. No, it was not doubtful. It was truth. The DG he knew would never do that. "She still needs to know of it, real or not."

Jill interrupted them. "How are you going to explain that you got it from Antoine in the Wolfsangel?" She glanced at the paper lying on the floor. "Certainly she reads the paper too."

He looked at her for a minute. "She'll understand that Antoine's death was an accident and that there were henchmen in there that attacked us." _Do you really think that?_

Jeb had trouble moving his fingers and he clumsily buttoned his uniform. "I gotta' get going." Before he left he told them, "Try to get word to me if you find any more out."

"I will son."

After Jeb left, he asked her, "Are you ready to meet with General Turnbaugh?"

Jill smiled that shy smile again; trying to look optimistic. She said "As ready as I ever will be." _But what about you Wyatt, are you up to it?_

* * *

DG's eyes fluttered open. She was lying in her bed, flat on her back. She rapidly sat up and felt the bile rise to her throat.

"Easy there doll. You've had a rough night."

She blinked hard a few times and gently touched the back of her head. It hurt when she touched it and she felt the tiny knots of the stitches.

She looked up and her eyes came in to focus. It was Glitch. He was leaning forward in a chair that had been placed next to her bed.

She reached out her hand towards him and he took it in his.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there. I didn't find out what happened until you were brought… " He paused, trying to will the words to come out. _Until you were brought, until you were brought…_He smiled softly, " in to the infirmary," he finished quietly. "Then you were brought to your chamber to spend the night."

DG replied softly, "Glitch, that's okay. What matters is that you're here now."

He turned around in his chair to look at the door and got a confused look on his face.

DG furled her brows, "What is it?"

"What happened to the nurse?" he replied.

"I don't know Glitch, was there one in here?" She started to get uneasy in the place where she should feel the most safe.

He turned back around in his chair to look the other way. He shrugged his shoulders and then looked at her wishfully, "Maybe I was just dreaming that there was a nurse in here."

"I don't think so. I'm sure that they wouldn't have left me alone in here."

DG began to wonder if Glitch had totally forgotten about their conversation from the night before. If he did remember any of it, he sure was not acting like it. And if there was a nurse, where did she go?

A wave of nausea hit her and she tasted the bile rising to her throat. She managed to get out, "I'm sorry Glitch."

Glitch looked bewildered. "For what?"

DG rolled over to the other side of the bed, away from Glitch, and proceeded to throw up.

* * *

Cain and Jill slowly walked down the sidewalk. She made sure to match her pace with the Tin Man and not walk any faster than what he was doing. She felt like crap and she was not even the one who was doing most of the fighting last night. She saw that he held his arm across his stomach.

She looked over at him. "Are you sure that you're all right?" she finally asked.

"Yeah. Why?" he gruffly replied without turning to look at her. He sounded like a bear who had just been poked with a stick.

Jill sighed. Anything she said would just be another poke with the stick. "Just concerned, that's all," and she left it go at that.

Cain took a glance at her out of the corner of his eye. He wanted to tell her to stop worrying but all he could do was grunt in acknowledgment.

* * *

The chambermaids, Meredith and Kyra, came scurrying at the first sound of her heaving. After the waves of nausea and sickness had passed, they helped to prop her up in her bed and then went about cleaning up the mess. All the while DG could only mumble about how sorry she was. Their only response though was the nodding of their heads. DG could not tell whether it was out of understanding, sympathy, or something else however.

After it was over, Meredith finally spoke; but it was short and to the point. "Miss, if you need us please ring the bell on your nightstand. We will be in your outer room." Without waiting for a response she turned on her heel, walked out of the bedroom and loudly shut the door.

"She got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning," Glitch said after he watched her shut the door.

"I think everyone knows what happened last night," DG said hoarsely. Her throat was still raw and she ached all over. She leaned her head back on her pillow and looked over at the window. The chambermaids had pulled the heavy curtains back. She saw that the twin suns were beginning to rise higher in the sky and their light filled the room with warmth.

Glitch said gloomily, "They're blaming Az for the death of those two soldiers aren't they?"

DG turned her head to look back at him, "Yeah… what else are they saying?"

He swallowed, but he knew better than try to withhold any information from her. He was gloomy in his response once more. "That you attacked Dr. Addison. They say that he was trying to help you but that Az had you under a spell. She made you attack him."

DG raised her hand in a half-hearted effort to rub her forehead and shield her eyes from the tears that welled up all at the same time. "Do you think that's what happened?

"Naw…." Glitch answered as he cocked his head.

"Dr. Addison tried to hold me down and shove a needle full of something in me," she said softly. Her memories of last night started out foggy but then slowly became clearer. "Glitch… Az's magic is green now. It never used to be. It was always the same soft yellow glow as mine. And that same sort of green lit up Dr. Addison's eyes. It was like he was the one that was under a spell, not me."

Glitch's face became white. "Do you think that Az is becoming the sorceress again?"

DG reached for his hand in order to comfort him. "No Glitch. The evil witch is dead. Az and I melted her on the tower remember?"

From the look on his face she did not know if she convinced him or not. "Something else is going on," she added. In order to change the subject she asked, "Where's Az now?"

"Oh. She's in your parent's chamber but she's under heavy guard. I guess they have her knocked out too."

_Well, at least she won't be getting in to any trouble for a little while_.

"Glitch, will you do something for me?"

Glitch's mood changed instantly. He smiled and answered, "Of course doll, what?"

_If you remember anything from last night you won't sound so happy._

"Will you find Cain for me? I need to talk to him."

Glitch pulled his hand away from her. A look of hurt crossed his face. "About what?" _He remembers now._

She chose her words carefully. "We need to talk to him Glitch… together. We need to talk to him about Dr. Addison. Don't you remember how he questioned him last night? "

Glitch did not answer. He looked down at the floor and would not look at her. He was trying to remember last night's dinner conversation with the Queen. Then his memories turned to their conversation afterwards.

They were interrupted by a swift knock on the door. Without waiting for an answer, Kyra, the chambermaid, brought in a silver tray of toast and tea. She placed it gently down on the nightstand but said nothing. She turned to walk away and DG said, "Thank you Kyra."

Kyra paused a moment but then continued out the door. At least she closed it gentler than what Meredith had done.

_Just what the hell is going on? _"Please Glitch." DG's voice brought him back to the present. "You know something's up. We need his help to figure it out."

Glitch looked up at her. "All right."

* * *

Calvert was by no means a sleepy little hamlet. It was a bustling town that saw much traffic; both for commerce and tourism. If a person from DG's or Jill's world wandered through it, they would say that it resembled a Wild West town. And in most respects it was.

Lieutenant Lundgren, Zero, and the rest of their men thundered down the main street on their horses. They had ridden all night. Their horses were on the brink of exhaustion but it did not matter. They were in Calvert now, and could easily arrange for fresh horses to take them to the Father's ranch complex right outside of town.

Some of the townsfolk watched them ride by, but then returned to their business just as quickly. For some it was not a strange sight; to others, it was better not to ask.

The band pulled up in front of the public stable. Stable hands came running out to greet and assist them. All of them were young boys hoping to make extra in tips.

Lundgren and Zero dismounted and took note of the stabler leaning in the doorway to the main office. They walked over to him.

The stabler looked past the two of them and saw the horses breathing heavy in the cold morning air. He took the pipe out of his mouth before he spoke, "You'll have to pay more for those horses. They're goin' to need extra care." He put the pipe back in his mouth.

Lundgren answered him, "Charge Father Diekmann's account."

The stabler looked at the two men standing in front of him. They were dressed as hunters in heavy winter gear. Without taking the pipe of his mouth he replied, "I'm afraid I can't do that son. Cash only." He turned and went inside the office. Lundgren and Zero followed him inside. Zero shut the door and went over to the window to watch the stable hands tend to the horses.

The stabler walked behind his desk, sat down, and leaned back in his chair. Lundgren stood in front of the desk. He reached in to his inside pocket and pulled out a small trinket that was connected to a chain. He threw it on the stabler's desk.

The stabler leaned forward and picked up the trinket. It was of the letter Z on its side with the vertical line through it. As the stabler rubbed it with his fingers, Lundgren told him, "As I said, charge it to the Father's account."

He threw it back on the desk towards Lundgren. "If you see him, tell him that he's behind on his payments."

Lundgren picked up the trinket and walked to the door. Zero had already opened it and was ready to go out. He could not leave without a parting shot though, "Keep that attitude up and you might receive the Father's special blessing," he sneered.

The stabler glared at them but did not answer.

Lundgren and Zero stood outside. They continued to watch their men and the stable hands. Zero finally broke the silence, "Direct your men to continue on to the Father's ranch. They will rest there for the remainder of the day and then proceed to Central City according to plan."

Lundgren sensed that Zero also had something else in mind. "And what about us?"

"We're going to Central City early; as soon as we have fresh horses." Soon, very soon Zero thought to himself.


	24. Chapter 24, How Could You?

Chapter 24, How Could You?

_Author's Note: I apologize for the length of this chapter. The muse, once bribed with dark chocolate, hung around longer than usual._

Jill and Cain continued down the sidewalk. Neither had said anything more since she had asked how he was doing. About two blocks away from the entrance to the barracks, Cain ducked in to a side alley. It was a dark since the morning sunlight had not yet reached it and there were no street lights. There was not even a homeless person wandering around. He led her behind a dumpster and stopped.

Jill looked anxiously around. She could feel the hairs rise on the back of her neck.

"Give me the gun."

Jill raised her eyebrows.

"I know that you've been packing since you walked down the stairs. Why else would you put your jacket on inside my house?" he replied gruffly. She rolled her eyes at him. Jeb must have told him of the expression. He went on, "You're going to get frisked when we go to enter the barracks."

She reached inside her jacket, pulled the out of the holster and gave it to him. "I imagine that I'm going to have to take off the holster too?" She felt a little foolish for stating the obvious but the words involuntarily came out.

"Yeah."

She unbuttoned her jacket and took it off. Cain held it while she undid the leather straps. "What are you going to do with it?" she asked as she fixed herself back up.

"Carry it in. You can have it back once we're inside."

That answer took Jill by surprise. "I didn't think that you would allow me to have one in there."

Cain looked at her. "If anything happens, it'll happen fast. And I may not be there to protect you." He regretted saying it but it was true. She had been right all along, he may not be there to watch her back and she needed to be able to take care of herself.

Jill did not know how to answer nor did she want to. She was afraid that if she said anything that it would sound like she was gloating.

"Come on, let's go," he said to her.

They walked out of the dark alley and were back in to the sunlight. There were a few clouds marring the picture perfect morning.

* * *

Dr. Addison marched down the hallway. After being "accidently" sedated by DG the night before, he had been taken to the infirmary where he slept it off. After he woke up, he had been informed by one of the nurses that Azkadellia was still sedated. The same nurse also informed him that three soldiers had been posted in her chamber and another three were posted outside the door. That fact in and of itself did not bother him. It was not unusual after one of her episodes. It was the news that a contingency of military police were heading towards the private chambers of the palace that troubled him.

As he quickened his pace he heard footsteps behind him. The footsteps were of a person running, as though they were in a hurry to catch up to him.

Dr. Addison abruptly stopped and turned to see who was following him.

It was a young palace courier. "Dr. Addison!... Dr. Addison!" he exclaimed breathlessly as he slowed to a stop in front of him. He handed him a thick envelope and file. "These are… the papers… that you requested." He wheezed as he tried to catch his breath.

Dr. Addison coldly answered him with barely mumbled "Thank you." He abruptly turned on his heel and continued his rapid pace down the hall. Without even a parting glance he opened the envelope and began to review its contents.

Young couriers barely earned any pay. The intent was to give school boys, and later school girls as well, an opportunity to learn the basics of employment; such as being on time, working hard, being polite to customers, etc. They were expected to make up their wages in the receipt of small tips and gifts for courteous service. It had been a palace tradition for generations.

The young courier watched him quickly walk down the hallway. He had run from the palace to the Royal Academy grounds and back to the palace to bring him his envelope and file. And all he had received was a coldly stated thank-you. He quickly glanced around to make sure that no one else was in the hallway. With satisfaction he proceeded to give Dr. Addison a one finger salute.

* * *

Azkadellia was tied down in her mother's bed. She had no clue though. She had had her first dose of sedation drugs courtesy of Dr. Addison the night before. Before dawn a nurse had given her another round.

The Queen sat on the side of the bed and gently stroked Azkadellia's hair and forehead. She thought back to a few hours before. As the nurse drew the syringe, she was shocked at the dose. She remembered asking her, "Are you sure that is the correct amount?" The nurse had smugly replied, "Of course. Dr. Addison's orders were very clear about the dosage in the event that one of these _episodes_ were to occur."

_Episodes_. The nurse had sneered when she said it.

Azkadellia stirred at her touch and mumbled something incoherent but did not wake up.

The Queen looked around and gazed in turn at each guard that were stationed in the room. Two were posted near the door and one was off to the side. Their held their rifles low in front of them. They appeared to be bracing for an attack rather than just standing around for security.

She did not want the guards in her chamber. However, it was the result of a compromise that as twin suns rose higher in the sky, might be short-lived. It had taken her absolute authority as the Queen in order to mandate that Azkadellia was to remain in the palace. However, she knew that it would only be a matter of time until a contingent of the military police came knocking on the door. It would be them and not tin men. The Queen was also the "commander-in-chief" as DG would have said if she was around. Since she had the authority to overturn a general's decision, any of the royal household's _issues _traditionally fell under the jurisdiction of the army. It had occurred before and now it would happen again.

* * *

The building where the commanding officers conducted their business was the largest of the military structures found on the royal grounds. However like most of the military structures, its architecture was relatively plain though the gray concrete, cold steel, and dark glass made it look formidable.

As they walked through the front glass doors Jill was surprised to see that the interior was laid out like any other office complex; however, the décor was much simpler and more austere. It did not have the warmth of the 9th Street Precinct lobby. Cain nodded to the receptionist and continued to lead Jill towards an elevator. After a short ride he led her through twisty hallways. Soon they arrived in a large waiting room.

A sergeant was talking merrily to another receptionist. He was sitting on the edge of her desk and appeared to be giving quite the tale. He was animated in his hand gestures and the receptionist often giggled. Jill smirked to herself as it was readily apparent that he was hitting on her. As she and Cain approached their conversation stopped. The receptionist seemed to be quite annoyed.

"May I help you?" she asked with annoyance. _Yep, she was_.

"I'm Major Wyatt Cain and this is Miss Jill Wilkins. We're here to see General Turnbaugh."

"Yes, you telephoned this morning," she said as she shuffled some papers and opened an appointment book. "I believe… yes,…" she muttered as she skimmed through her notes and then glanced at the sergeant. "Sergeant Stoddard will escort Miss Wilkins from here. General Turnbaugh has been called away on urgent business at the palace."

Cain narrowed his eyes, "What sort of urgent business?"

The receptionist straightened her shoulders and looked him in the eye. She firmly answered, "As I stated before he has been called away to the palace. Whatever business he has there is his alone." _Yep, she was still annoyed._

Sergeant Stoddard took the receptionist's hand in his and kissed it. "I will be back shortly my dear." It made her giggle. He then walked around the receptionist desk and stood near Jill. He smelled heavily of cheap aftershave and his clothes smelled like cigarette smoke. It was a wonder he passed inspection. "Major Cain, this should only take a few hours." He paused and then added, "Unless of course she's got a lot of secrets to tell behind those pretty brown eyes." He looked over to Cain, "We'll take her down to the main reception area when we're done."

The receptionist glared at the sergeant. Up to that point he had been hitting on her and she liked it. Jill glared at the sergeant. The receptionist could have him; he was a slime ball.

Up to this point Jill had put on a brave front. But now, she was going to be led by a stranger, to a strange room, to talk in front of strangers about what has happened to her so far. She lost her nerve and Cain could sense it.

He placed his hands on her shoulders once more. "Look kiddo, you'll be just fine. Just tell them what you told me." He tried to give her an optimistic look. But he realized once more that he did not have that gift. It was Glitch's gift and his alone.

She looked past him at first and then back at his face. She whispered, "Even after all that's happened so far?"

"The military is under oath to protect and serve the Queen."

The words came out before she could stop them, "That sounds like the same kind of oath tin men are supposed to take."

His half-hearted attempt at looking optimistic turned to one of melancholy. "Look, there's been no reason to suspect that the military is involved in whatever is going on." He thought back to his conversation with the Queen. "Those henchmen were wearing police uniforms; they weren't military."

"Are you two done saying your good-byes yet?" the sergeant asked. He was now the one getting annoyed and impatient. He wanted to do his little escort duty and then get back to putting on his best moves to the receptionist. If he played his cards right he might get lucky.

As Jill turned to follow the sergeant, Cain told her, "I'll be waiting for you downstairs."

Her last parting words to him were, "Don't be late."

_I can't promise that Jill. _

* * *

Cain exited the elevator. As he walked by the receptionist she called out, "Are you Major Wyatt Cain?"

He already had his hand on the door when he stopped and turned to look at her. "Yeah. Why?"

She reached up and placed a thick envelope on the counter. "This is addressed to you with instructions to give it to you before you left the building."

He quickly walked over to the counter and picked up the envelope. "Who gave it to you?"

"I had to step away from the desk and when I came back it was already here sir."

He walked over to the lobby chairs as he ripped open the envelope. A small collar fell out of the envelope. He quickly bent over and picked it up. It was a jeweled cat collar with a pale gold tag hanging from it. The tag was engraved with the name, _Muffy_.

"What the fuck?" he muttered to himself. _What sort of sick joke is this? _He walked back to over to the receptionist and asked her to throw away the envelope. Then he put the cat collar in an inside pocket.

He walked outside and headed towards the palace. He was going after both General Turnbaugh and the Queen.

* * *

General Turnbaugh was accompanied by the Provost Marshall Collins, the Deputy Provost Marshall Vargo and a small contingent of the military police. The Provost Marshall Collins oversaw all of the provost companies; both those stationed in Central City and of the others scattered throughout the O.Z.

Servants, chambermaids, royal guards, and civilians in the palace on business scattered as the contingent approached. Rumors had already run rampant that morning concerning what the eldest princess had done the night before. Seeing the contingent added fuel to the fire.

DG heard loud footsteps marching down the hallway. She knew instantly who was making the footsteps and why they were here in the palace. She wearily rose out of bed. She felt wobbly on her feet and she put her arm out on to the bed to steady herself. She let the wave of dizziness pass, grabbed her dressing gown from the end of the bed, and went out in to the hallway.

The contingent had arrived in front of the Queen's chambers. The three guards that had been posted outside of her door stepped aside to let the Provost Marshall and his deputy inside the chamber.

They stepped inside and found the Queen sitting on the edge of the bed, holding Azkadellia's bound hand. Her husband sat in a chair near her. Dr. Addison was sitting nearby with papers strewn about the floor.

The Queen did not turn away from Azkadellia. "Good morning General Turnbaugh. Do you have the Provost Marshall with you?"

"Good morning, mi'lady," replied Turnbaugh in a low deep voice. It was a strong voice that matched his advancing years. His gray hair and beard were neatly trimmed. His hazel eyes reflected the morning sunlight coming through the windows. Even though he should be retired he had accepted the promotion, out of a loyalty and friendship that was forged long ago to the Queen before the witch, until order was restored to the O.Z. Little did he realize at the time that his troubles would not come from former Longcoats, but from the inner circle of the royal family. "And yes, both Provost Marshall Collins, and his DPM, the Deputy Provost Marshall Vargo is here."

Provost Marshall Collins was in his middle years and had been promoted and transferred from one of the other larger cities. Deputy Provost Marshall Vargo was a Kithelean and one of the first of his kind to hold such a high rank in the army. The Kithelean tribes were from the south and they were a proud race. They were also a large race where the men were usually seven to eight feet tall and the women were nearly a foot shorter. For being so large they were gentle in nature and preferred peace to war. However, it did not mean that they knew not how to fight. They were one of the few tribes loyal to the Queen during the witch's reign. The first time that DG had seen Kilthelean, she thought that she was looking at a Viking.

Ahamo shifted in his chair in order to get a better look at them, "Good morning gentlemen." All three officers politely nodded back at him.

Dr. Addison rose and walked over to the officers. He offered no greeting as he handed the Provost Marshall a few papers. "These are the preliminary psychiatric evaluations for the Princess Azkadellia. As her attending physician I am authorized to assign her to a care facility of my choosing for further evaluation. As such I am mandating that she remain here at the palace. She will undergo monthly evaluations to evaluate her mental competency. Until such a time when she regains her mental competency, she will neither undergo formal nor informal military questioning or interrogation." He paused to let his stately said words sink in. "Is that understood?"

Turnbaugh looked sternly at Dr. Addison. He never cared much for the man. Every time he was in his presence his old gut always told him that something was not right. However the Queen firmly believed in his medical ability and to a large degree he had been able to help the princess control her demons. However, this time was worse than the last. That was why the DPM and even the Provost Marshall himself were here.

The PM Collins and the DPM Vargo continued to review the papers after Dr. Addison's speech.

Meanwhile DG arrived at the chamber door. The Queen looked up when she heard her daughter's voice tell the guard to let her in, or else.

"Good morning Princess Dorothy," Turnbaugh wished her. In many ways she reminded him of his own daughter.

DG turned briefly to look at him and responded with a tired and simple "Morning."

She walked over to the other side of her sister's bed and sat on the edge of it. She gently ran her fingers over the soft white material binding Az's hands. She took her sister's hand and held it, but there was no response. "How long has she been out?"

"All night," replied her mother. "A nurse came in before dawn to give her some more of the sedative."

DG looked over at Dr. Addison, the PM Collins, and the DPM Vargo. They were still poring over the papers.

PM Collins finally broke the silence. "Dr. Addison, we are going to have our own psychiatric evaluation conducted."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me correctly doctor. Order 1101 gives the tribunal the right to either accept the attending physician's initial psychiatric evaluation or to order an additional evaluation. We are extending our right to order a second evaluation."

"Do you really believe that is wise Provost Marshall? " asked Dr. Addison rather sternly.

"Dr. Addison, two soldiers were found dead in the princess' chamber. Even if our evaluation concurs with yours, as soon as she is declared to be mentally competent, charges of manslaughter will be brought against her."

DPM Vargo added in a gruff voice, "Is it not coincidental that the princess' next competency evaluation was to be tomorrow?"

"What are you implying," Dr. Addison added with a sneer, "_Kithelean_?"

A low growl erupted from the Kithelean's throat. "Is it also not coincidental that you changed the princess' medication this week?"

Dr. Addison fumed at DPM Vargo's remark. His lips narrowed and he snarled, "How dare you question her medication? Am I not under oath to heal my patient?"

"Yes, Dr. Addison, you are under oath… Perhaps you should begin to take heed of it," coldly replied PM Collins. "By the way, did you complete her preliminary evaluation before or after you gave her the next dose of sedatives?"

"I would not be the one questioning my moral integrity given the fact that you once justified the witch's orders," angrily answered Dr. Addison.

"ENOUGH!" bellowed Turnbaugh. All fell silent. "Collins, where and when will the evaluation take place?"

"The princess needs to be transported to the infirmary located at the barracks. Any and all sedatives are to be stopped immediately. Once she regains consciousness, the evaluation will be performed."

"No."

All of the men turned and looked over in the Queen's direction. Ahamo spoke, "What did you say dear?"

The Queen stood up and turned to look at the officers. In her most authoritative voice she stated, "You will not move Azkadellia from this chamber."

PM Collins spoke, "Your highness, the law is the law."

The Queen straightened her shoulders and she walked over to stand in front of PM Collins. Ahamo followed her. She stared him in the eye for a moment before speaking further. "I know the law very well Provost Marshall. You are correct in stating that once Azkadellia's mental competency has been re-established that charges may be brought against her. However, there is no law to state where the evaluations must take place. As such I am mandating that she is to remain in the palace."

PM Collins said nothing. It was the DPM Vargo who finally answered the Queen, "Your majesty, the public safety continues to be at risk. Therefore she must be taken to a secure facility."

The Queen countered, "And the palace, with all of its garrisons and guards is not considered a secure facility? Perhaps the Princess Dorothy and I shall be taken to the barrack's infirmary as well?"

Dr. Addison snickered.

There was a tense moment of silence as PM Collins absorbed the Queen's words. He finally stated, "The princess will be moved to the barrack's infirmary. She is, and continues to be, a risk to the public's safety. If there is another incident, then she is less likely to do as much damage there as she did here." He paused as he noted the Queen's ever increasing fury. "If you would like to push the limits as to the definition of _risk to the public's safety_, by all means do so. I am sure that the tribunal would be interested to hear your argument considering that two good soldiers are dead."

Ahamo saw his wife's anger and made one last plea, "Certainly a compromise is possible to this situation. If Azkadellia were to be confined to the private chambers and garden, and if the appropriate guards were stationed; surely that would suffice."

PM Collins turned red and began to speak, but Turnbaugh raised his hand and silenced him. He spoke solemnly, "I'm sorry old friend. That was the same compromise we made six months ago after the princess." He stopped and one could see that he was choosing his next words carefully. "After the princess was allegedly startled and inadvertently unleashed her magic upon that soldier. He unfortunately died of his wounds. Three soldiers have now died while serving security for the princess. Not even your other daughter was able to control her as you promised me."

DG's snapped to attention. "What? What did you just say?"

Ahamo and even the Queen hung their heads in shame. Turnbaugh said as gently as he could, "The other part of the compromise was that we were assured that your magic would be strong enough to contain, and if necessary, defeat your sister in the event that another incident was to happen. From the reports that were given from the courtyard, it appears that you are the weaker of the two."

DG jumped up. Her head ached from the sudden movement but she ignored it. "For starters, why didn't you tell me?... And what the hell do you mean by _if necessary defeat my sister_?" she asked loudly.

The Queen walked back over to DG before answering. As she held her she said, "If Azkadellia was too far gone and could not be brought back."

DG held on to her mother for a moment and then it registered. She pushed her away. "Oh my god! You told them that I would kill her?!"

"DG…. Please…. We never anticipated nor expected that Azkadellia would get that far gone. That is why we never told you. You need to try to understand. We had to agree to it or Azkadellia would have been locked away. They were thinking of the greater good, the protection of the O.Z." The Queen looked at her, silently pleading with her to understand.

DG stood trembling. Only one other time had anyone ever alluded that she might have to do something that drastic and it had been Cain; when the witch truly possessed Az.

The Queen stepped forward. She moved to take DG in her arms again, but DG pushed her out of the way and marched past her. She was headed towards the door. As she reached it, the guards moved out of her way.

"DG! Wait!"

DG paused in the door way. She turned to look at her mother. Her eyes started to mist and she said, "How could you promise something like that to them?" As she said it she turned and headed down the hallway.


	25. Chapter 25, I Can't Love You Like That

Chapter 25, I Can't Love You Like That

_Author's note: I know, another long chapter, but it has to be said_. _I've also started to post_ _this story at tinmanfic over at LJ for those that prefer that website._

DG walked down the hallway to her chamber and slammed the door. She could no longer contain her feelings and the tears came readily. She was still in shock that her own mother and father had promised _that_, after all that they had been through. How could they make such a promise that they would kill their own daughter; and have her sister do it by her own hand? There was always a way; had she not proved that on the tower?

Whether due to the rush of adrenaline, she had been up for some time, or both, she did not feel as wobbly or nauseous as she did when she first woke up. She went in to her bed room, gulped down the rest of the tea and finished off the toast. She then got dressed and put on her winter coat. She wanted to be alone and not alone. In the end she wanted Glitch, her friend that had seen her through thick and thin the past year. She stopped. That was the word that caught her by surprise. In her mind she referred to him as _her friend_; not her _husband_, _lover_, or even _boyfriend_. Was that wrong?

She softly closed the chamber door and took a parting glance at the far end of the hallway. Guards were still posted outside of her parent's chamber but there was no other visible activity. All of them were probably still inside discussing the particulars of moving Azkadellia to the barracks. She turned and walked the other way. She was headed towards a very special place.

Cain was still on his way from the barracks where he had left Jill to the palace when he saw a figure running towards him in the distance. As the figure came closer he saw a flash of reflected sunlight bounce from the head. He knew instantly who it was.

Glitch ran up to him and stopped. He bent over and held his sides, trying to catch his breath. Cain asked apprehensively, "What's wrong?" Why else would his favorite headcase come running?

Glitch stood up. "Well, good morning to you too," he replied somewhat indignantly.

Cain rolled his eyes, but his expression unconsciously softened. "I'm sorry Glitch… But what's the big hurry?"

"DG needs to see you," Glitch replied, still somewhat out of breath.

"What for?"

It came out more sternly than he intended. Glitch looked at him with a nervous expression. It could not be helped though. The Queen's words from the night before rang in his ears, s_tay away from my daughter._

Glitch regained his composure. "We both need to talk to you," he started over again. "DG thinks that Dr. Addison is up to something."

They started to walk towards the palace. Cain thought back to their conversation on the balcony from two nights ago. DG had staunchly defended him then. What happened overnight to change her mind?

Glitch continued rather glumly, "Besides, Az is turning back in to the sorceress. Of course DG doesn't think so but I think so."

Cain abruptly stopped, grabbed Glitch by the shoulder and pulled him back. He almost fell backwards from the sudden action. "Hey! Why'd you do that for?"

Cain's eyes were focused squarely on Glitch. "What do you mean Az is turning back in to the sorceress?"

He left Glitch go and his arm dropped down to his side. In a fleeting moment of clarity Glitch realized that Cain had no idea of what had transpired after dinner.

"Azkadellia killed two soldiers last night."

It only took a second for Cain to put two and two together. That was why General Turnbaugh had urgent business at the palace.

Cain grabbed Glitch by the arm and practically started to drag him down the walkway. "Come on Glitch. You're going to tell me about everything that happened last night."

They arrived at DG's chamber door. Looking at the far end of the hallway they could still see the guards posted outside of the Queen's and Lord's chamber. Glitch knocked loudly on the door and called to her in a loud voice. There was no answer. Then Cain knocked loudly and called out her name. Again there was no answer. Cain had one hand on the doorknob, and the other reached for his gun. He was ready bust through the door when it suddenly flew open. One of the chambermaids, Kyra, stood in front of them.

Cain gruffly asked, "Where's DG?"

"She is not here Major."

"I can see that. Where did she go?" Cain was beginning to get annoyed.

Kyra responded matter-of-factly, "I do not know. When I came in to clean I found that she had already left. Her breakfast tray is empty and she has changed in to daytime attire."

It was evident that Kyra was not going to be offering any more clues to DG whereabouts. "Alright, thank you," he replied gruffly and turned to leave. Glitch asked him on the way back down the hallway, "Now where are we going?"

"Where's her favorite hiding spots?" Cain quickly asked.

Glitch's mood turned somber again. "She's probably in her garden."

Even in the dead of winter the space around Hank and Em's memorial gave off a soft warm glow. DG held a large steaming cup of tea and wrapped the blanket around her tighter just because it felt comforting. During the summer she had ordered a bench to be made and placed in front of the memorial. It was not a cold stone bench either. It was a wooden park bench, made out of a warm light colored wood and accented with deep green and gold fixtures. It reminded her of the ones that were around town back home; the home from her other life. When they ran in to town they would always stop for ice cream before returning home. They would sit on the bench to eat it and watch the townsfolk walk by and say hello.

The memorial was placed in her own private garden, in the far corner away from the entrance. She remembered how her mother had frowned upon it.

_DG, I know that you loved your nurturing units dearly, but our private gardens are not intended to be burial grounds._

She smirked as she recalled the memory.

No one exactly knew what the citizens of Milltown did when one of their fellow "units" passed away. If one walked through the town, there was no cemetery. Some said that since they were "units", they had no concept of the afterlife like humans and so merely recycled the parts. Others said that they were every bit as human and buried their dead in a secret burial ground or cave.

DG did not care about the debate. What mattered was that her parents, the ones who had nurtured her through her childhood, had a final peaceful resting place. It was the least that she could do for them.

She heard footsteps behind her. One set stopped abruptly and one set continued until they reached the side of the bench.

She looked up and saw Glitch. She gave him a sad soft smile. He just nodded his head as he sat down on the bench with her.

It was Cain who had stopped abruptly. He could see the words engraved in the memorial, "In loving memory of my other parents, Hank and Em, whom I loved very much." The waves of sorrow hit him and he clenched both his teeth and his hands in to fists in order to contain himself. It took him a few seconds to regain his composure.

His steps were slow and he finally reached the side of the bench. DG looked up at him with sad eyes, "Mornin' Mr. Cain."

"You haven't called me that in a long time, kiddo." He took his hat off.

"I haven't heard kiddo in a long time either."

For a moment neither said anything. DG motioned for him to sit down next to her.

He gingerly sat down and rested his hat on his knee. He continued to stare at the memorial and then finally broke the silence. "Glitch told me what happened last night."

"Yeah, it was pretty bad but that's not the worse of it."

Cain quietly snorted, "You were sent flying across the courtyard, you're banged up, you have stitches in your head, and Az committed murder. I don't see how it can get any worse."

"They're going to move Az to the barracks, stop the sedatives, and quiz her to see if she's sane or not. If she's sane then they're going to bring charges against her. If not, they're going to keep quizzing her every month until she is."

There was another long pause. DG sighed and then continued, "It's pretty much the same deal the last time she did this."

Cain interrupted and turned to look at her. "What do you mean by _last time_? This isn't the first time that she's killed someone?"

She looked back and him. The sadness was evident on her face. His words had cut her a little but what was she to expect? He only asked the same question that everyone else did when they learned about Azkadellia's past few months. She fiddled with the cup of tea. It was nearly empty and cold anyway. "No, it's not the first time. Dr. Addison was having trouble regulating her medication and so she was having a bad week. They think what happened is that she was in her garden and a young soldier came up behind her. They don't know if she was startled, or he said something to her, or she was just so out of it. It doesn't matter now 'cause she fried him."

She paused and took a last swig of the tea to finish it off.

Cain spoke quietly. It was almost a whisper. "I'm sorry DG."

She shrugged her shoulders and tried to muffle her sniffle. "That soldier hung on for a few weeks but he didn't pull through." Glitch was hesitant at first but then put his arm around her shoulders. She did not pull away and even leaned closer to him and rested her head in his arm.

For a good five minutes or so no one said anything. Each was absorbed in their own thoughts. DG occasionally sniffled but there was no other sound.

Cain broke the stillness. "What was it you and Glitch wanted to talk to me about?"

DG straightened back up and wiped her eyes clear. "I guess you were right after all about Dr. Addison."

"What do you mean by that?" he asked as gently as he could.

"Maybe he hasn't been helping Az as much as we all would like to think."

DG then told him about how Dr. Addison had gone after her, about Az's green magic and how the color matched his eyes. Then she told him about DPM Vargo's accusation that Dr. Addison intentionally changed her medication since her mental competency examination was forthcoming.

Cain rubbed his forehead with his hand. He hated to see DG like this and it pained him to know that she had been dealing with this for months and months now. He never knew. No one ever told him. He felt betrayed but then realized that he had it coming to him. After he hurt DG, he abruptly left; thinking that she would be better off without him. Why would anyone bother to tell him what was going on?

DG finally asked, "So, Mr. Cain how did you get that bruise on your cheek?"

He looked surprised by her remark.

"Don't think that I didn't notice. I saw it when you first sat down."

He told her about the incidents that had happened down at the Wolfsangel Tavern. He told her about the picture disk but left out Demilo's mention of her performing sex acts and her father having a mistress. When he was done her comment to him was, "And you told me that you couldn't see how it could get any worse." She went on.

"I can't understand why Demilo would try to bribe you. He all of people should have known that you were above that sort of thing."

Cain did not say anything. He was thinking about the picture disk. The part about Azkadellia killing people was true. His thoughts were interrupted by DG thinking out loud.

"Glitch told me last night that when he took Jill down to the armory, she said that she recognized some kind of symbol. What was that about?"

Cain looked over at the two of them. "We went down to the Wolfsangel because she saw the tavern's symbol on the wallet of one of those cadets."

_M,I,C…. K,E,Y…. M,O,U,S,E…. _The theme to the Mickey Mouse Club started to play in her head. She shook her head to clear her thoughts of the tune. "The Wolfsangel sounds like a secret club," she said.

"Was a secret club," Cain corrected. "And the proof's gone now. While we were there Jill saw other symbols and said that we needed to find a history book from her world."

DG thought for a moment. "I don't know where we would get one. Maybe the Royal Academy has one tucked away. But to get at those books we have to go through Dr. Addison."

Glitch took his hands and rubbed his temples. He was having a hard time following the conversation between DG and Cain. He knew that it was due to the leaps in time references and subjects. He started to feel frustrated.

"It's not safe for you to be alone with him. Hell, he even went after you in public. I'll go and take Jill along," he finished decisively.

DG looked at him in disbelief. "That's too risky too. Don't you remember at dinner that it was Dr. Addison who wanted her to go with him to examine text books? If he's in on all of this, it's a trap."

"I don't see any other way kiddo. She needs to see those books and he has 'em. I'm not going to leave her alone with him if that's what you're thinking." He looked at her. She had that disapproving look in her eyes again.

"Fine. If you're so dead set on going then at least take Glitch. They'll figure that he just tagged along." The words came out before she realized it.

Cain raised his eyebrow. Glitch looked up at her with a wounded look on his face, "What do you mean by just tagging along?"

Before DG could answer the silence was broken by a tweet. Then another tweet. The last time sounded adamant. TWEET! TWEET! TWEET!

Glitch reached in to his inside coat pocket and pulled out a small, metallic gold bird with bright blue eyes. He held it in his outstretched hand.

TWEET! TWEET! TWEET! "Time for dancing lessons, time for dancing lessons."

Cain asked inquisitively, thankful for the break in the uncomfortable silence that had plagued them, "What's that?"

The golden bird sparkled in the sun. Glitch replied, "It's a time keeper. DG and I were going through what was left of my old office when she found it. She even found the blueprints for it and figured out how to use it." He gave the bird to DG to hold while he reached in to another pocket. He pulled out a folded piece of paper and handed it to Cain.

He unfolded the paper and found hand-drawn pictures of the bird. It looked like instructions for operating it. "Are these the blueprints?" Cain asked as he handed the pictures back to Glitch.

"Oh no. Those were drawn by DG to show me how to use it." He carefully put the instructions back in to his pocket. Then DG handed the bird back to Glitch.

TWEET! TWEET! TWEET! "Time for dancing lessons, time for dancing lessons." The bird insistently said again.

Glitch stroked its head and the bird closed its eyes and fell quiet. He rose up from the bench, "Just like the bird says, I have dancing lessons to give." He held the bird out in his hand and stared at it. He cocked his head and dejectedly said "Some days I still can't believe that I used to be able to create creatures like these. Now all I'm good for is giving little old ladies of the royal court dancing lessons."

DG called out to him, "Glitch! That's not true and you know it."

"Really?" His wounds from her rejection from the prior night were still raw. "You had to draw cartoons to show me how to use this." He motioned with his hand that was holding the time keeper.

She shook her head. "You've always helped us in your own special way. Why would that change now?"

Glitch carefully put the bird back in to his pocket and turned to leave. DG wanted to say something, anything, but nothing more came out. He did not look at DG, but told Cain, "Let me know if you want me to _tag_ along when you and Jill go to the Royal Academy." Then he turned and left.

_Dumb, dumb, dumb_. What was wrong with her? She never meant to make it sound like Glitch was not important nor valuable.

Glitch's footsteps faded away and DG and Cain were left alone.

Both sat staring at the memorial and avoided eye contact with each other. DG slid over to the other side of the bench and drew her legs up. She rested her head on her knees.

Cain finally asked, "Did you accept yet?"

DG was taken off guard. "What?"

Cain spoke quietly, "I asked if you accepted Glitch's marriage proposal yet?"

"Who told you about that?"

"Your mother," he replied. Again his voice was low.

"Really? What else did she tell you?" she asked defensively.

Again he thought back to the words that were exchanged between him and her mother.

"We had been talking about Jill." That part was true. Now he had to lie and it pained him again. "I told her that I had heard rumors about the engagement and asked if you had accepted yet."

DG was silent. She knew that if she told him why that there would be no going back. Would he walk out of her life again?

"Where's Jill now?"

Cain paused. "Don't try to change the subject DG."

She looked up at the sky as she sighed. There were a few clouds but otherwise it looked to be a perfect day. Too bad looks were so deceiving.

Cain looked at her. He knew that she was silently debating.

She looked over at him with sadness in her eyes. "Last night I told him that I couldn't marry him."

He looked away from her. He tried to take the emotion of out his voice, "Why?"

She said it so quietly that he had to strain to hear her, but he knew what she said, "I told him that I would always love you." She paused, "even after all that has happened."

She was afraid to breathe. She did not know what was going to happen next.

"Even after over an annual you still feel that way?"

"Yes." She was not going to go there about Glitch, but Cain deserved the truth. "It started out as friendship and then grew in to love. I'll always love him but it's not the same love I feel for you."

He refused to look at her.

"I was drunk because I was trying to drink Adora away, and you were drunk because you were trying to kill the pain I caused you. I took advantage of you and it was wrong." His hand clenched the arm of the bench as he said the words. He knew that they would hurt her but it was never like this conversation was going to be a walk in the park.

Her eyes started to mist but she blinked away the tears. "It wasn't just drunken sex."

"Yes it was." It came out a little more sternly than he had intended. He looked over at her. "And you're… you're young enough to be my daughter. That makes it even more despicable."

DG edged closer to him. The tears were replaced with exasperation. "Look! Glitch is nearly as old as you. Why is it okay with him and not you?!"

Cain angrily rose from the bench and turned away from her. Her voice rose higher and more confident, "Don't you dare tell me that you're afraid that people will talk; that they'll frown upon it!"

He angrily turned back around to face her. "I'm not the hero you think that I am! I've killed your parents…" _And there's another reason why I was called back from the territories early. Why do you think that I was involved in those hearings?_

He went on, "And I've done far worse…" His voice trailed off for a moment. Then he regained his thoughts, "You're confusing love with infatuation."

DG stood up and faced him, toe to toe. "Where the hell do you get infatuation from?! I'm not some little girl with a silly crush!" If it was even possible she moved closer to him and dared to place her hands on his chest. "I forgive you for killing my parents. And I don't know what else has happened while you were out west, but what matters is that I still love you at the end of the day."

Cain looked down in to her eyes. They were fiery and he could feel her breathing and her heat.

He took her hand and momentarily held them in his. But then he gently moved them to her sides. His words came out slow and quiet, "DG, I'm sorry but I can't love you the way that you want me to." _You deserve better than a broken old man._

DG took a step back. The pain of rejection was clearly etched in her face. "Are you going to run off again?"

He said quietly, "No. DG,… Jill's being interrogated by General Turnbaugh's men. Your mother ordered it."

The pain half disappeared from her face and was replaced by one of confusion. "Why did my mother order it?"

"She thinks that Jill might be able to supply clues as to why there's so much outworlder stuff being smuggled in to the O.Z."

By now DG was leaning against the back of the bench, her arms folded across her chest. Cain continued quietly, "I'm going to get her, and then Glitch, and we're all going to the Royal Academy to get a hold of those books. We'll meet back here when we're done."

He turned to leave but then stopped and looked at her again. "DG, I promise that I'll see this through to the end with you."

She said nothing but gave him a sad half-hearted smile. What was she supposed to say? She just declared her love for him and he just told her that he couldn't love her. Cain sighed, nodded his head, and then started to walk away.

As she watched him walk away, some words finally came. She called after him, "Be careful Mr. Cain."

He stopped again and turned his head to look at her. "I will princess." It hurt to say them.

Then he left the garden. He was headed back towards the barracks.


	26. Chapter 26, Sins Of Our Mothers

Chapter 26, Sins Of Our Mothers

Sergeant Stoddard was escorting Jill to the main reception area. All the while he had been talking about himself and she could barely stand it. The elevator filled with his scent of cheap aftershave and cigarettes. It was enough to make her gag. In the end she pitied whoever would have to use it next. _It could be worse, he could've farted. _Her thoughts then drifted some more and she wondered if he had been able to get that receptionist's phone number.

The elevator doors opened and standing in front of the reception desk was Sergeant Paul Costello, Petey Staggart and two other tin men that she did not recognize. She and Stoddard walked over to the desk. The receptionist was nowhere to be found.

Jill felt anxious seeing all of the tin men standing around. She warily said, "Good morning Sergeant Costello. Do you have business here as well?"

Costello looked at her with sympathetic eyes. "I do Miss Wilkins but unfortunately it concerns you. You're under arrest."

She looked at him in shock. "For what?!" she asked disbelievingly.

"Failure to register as an outworlder."

"What?!" She was still in shock. With a shaking hand she reached in to an inside pocket and pulled out her registration card. She stretched out her arm and held in front of Costello. "Here's my registration card. We went down to that office right after we were done talking to you." As she glanced over at Petey her voice rose higher. "You even told Petey to take us down there!"

Costello took her card, glanced at it and put it in his pocket. "I'm sorry Jill," Costello answered and he motioned the two tin men to go over to her. One took a pair of handcuffs out of his pocket. "We don't have any record of you completing any paperwork. For all we know your registration card is a forgery."

Jill looked dumbfounded at him. "I can't believe that you think that Cain would be in with me to get a fake I.D." The tin man with the cuffs stopped. "Seriously, do you really think that?"

Costello paused and then nodded to the tin man with the cuffs to continue. The tin man said to her in a low quiet voice, "I'm sorry Miss Wilkins. I'll be as gentle and professional as I can, but you're going to have to put your hands on your head and then I'm going to have to pat you down. It's standard procedure." Jill snorted her acknowledgment and kept her eyes on Costello and Petey.

The tin man proceeded to pat her down. He lightly touched her left side. "Sergeant?"

_Oh shit._

"What is it Sulouff?"

"Miss Wilkins, please reach down slowly and unbutton your jacket."

She did as she was told.

Petey stood slightly behind Costello. For a moment she could have sworn she saw him make a sly smile. It was the type of smile that a cat would make after having cornered a mouse.

Sulouff took the handgun out of its holster and handed it to Costello. He sighed deeply. "Where did you get the gun?"

She knew what Costello was thinking but she lied anyway. She shrugged and quietly replied, "I found it."

Costello sighed again. _Damn it Cain_. "Petey, mark it down that we discovered an unregistered, military issue handgun on the suspect."

_Suspect?! That's just great….. _Jill turned around and found that Sergeant Stoddard had walked back over to the elevator. "Hey! Wait!" She called over to him. "Can't you do something?"

Stoddard slowly shook his head no.

Jill grew incensed. "If you can't personally do something, can you at least tell those soldiers that were interviewing me or get a message to General Turnbaugh that I'm being arrested?"

Stoddard started at her for a moment. Then they all heard the ding of the elevator arriving. The doors opened and Stoddard walked through them. "It's out of our jurisdiction, but sure, I'll give them all the message." Before Jill could reply he closed the doors.

"Fucking bastard", she thought to herself.

The other tin man started to rattle off her rights but she barely heard him. She was still taken aback that this was happening.

The tin man who had cuffed her gently took a hold of her arm and pulled her towards the door. She asked, "Where are you taking me?"

Costello answered her, "To the 9th Street Precinct."

As they walked out in to the sunlight Jill realized with dismay that if they were arresting her, then they would be after Cain next.

* * *

Not long after Cain left, DG went back inside the palace to warm up. As she walked the halls back to her private chamber she flagged down a young courier.

The school girl curtsied deeply and said, "Good morning Princess Dorothy. How may I be of service?"

DG softly smiled. The girl could not have been any more than 9 or 10. "There's no need to be that formal. What's your name?"

The school girl rose up and grinned broadly. "Samantha. But your highness may call me Sam. I much prefer that."

DG kindly smiled again. "Sam…I need you to go see if there are any messages from two very close friends of mine. Their names are Raw and Calm. They should've arrived yesterday but haven't yet. Can you do that for me?"

"Of course your highness!," answered Sam enthusiastically. DG handed her a silver coin. Sam's eyes grew as round as saucers. "And you'll get another one when you come back," she added.

"All right!," squealed Sam. With the excitement of earning her first silver coins she lost all sense of decorum and reverted back to just being a kid. Through all of her sadness, DG smiled as she watched Sam run down the hallway. She had been the one bright spot all morning.

* * *

Since the terrorist attack, security had been tightened around and in the city. Even so, Zero and Lieutenant Lundgren readily passed through the checkpoints. Their forged documents, badges, clothing, and even handguns were minutely accurate reproductions of standard tin men. Zero thought about the Father as they passed through the city gate. He might be an anal prick but it was that impeccable sense of detail that made getting in to the city so freaking easy.

His thoughts were interrupted by Lundgren's voice. "Where did you want to go before we went to the safe house?" Lundgren had been annoyed all morning. Once again Zero had refused to tell him what additional business they had in Central City.

"We're going to meet up with an old broad of mine on the other side of town," he answered. He thought of Atricia's mocha skin and it excited him. Of all of them, she was his favorite. He snickered to himself. Certainly Atricia would have one or two broads available for the boy too.

* * *

Cain turned the corner, stopped dead in his tracks, and quickly ducked behind a bush. He was fortunate that the military was one step above austere in its landscaping.

He saw his old friend Costello, and two other tin men escorting Jill to a waiting squad car. He narrowed his eyes and with shock and dismay realized that Jill had her arms behind her back.

_Damn it. I shouldn't have left you alone_.

That thought was quickly followed up with, _And I gave you the fucking gun back too._

He was so absorbed in his thoughts that he left his guard down and never heard the footsteps behind him. He only felt the sharp pain from a blow by the butt of a handgun reverberating through his head.

As he sunk to his knees he turned around to see who had attacked him. He saw fiery red hair and recognized that it was Petey. _I'm sorry that I couldn't keep my promise Jill._

Petey sneered at him. Before he could reach for his gun he felt another sharp blow to his head. As he lost consciousness he heard him say in a low voice, "Serves you right for interfering cowboy." And with that Petey kicked him in the gut for good measure.

* * *

The day dragged on for DG. They had not yet moved Azkdadellia. There was something about a delay while they made arrangements for a private room, guards, and god knows what else. She had visited her briefly but there was no change in her condition. Whatever was given to her by Dr. Addison and his nurses must have been really potent.

DG was headed back to her garden when the young courier, Sam, found her.

Sam curtsied deeply again but when she rose she had such a look of disappointment on her face that DG's kind smile quickly turned to one of apprehension. "Sam, what's wrong?"

"Your highness," Sam's voice trembled.

DG put her hands on Sam's shoulders in an effort to try to calm her down even though her heart was going a mile a minute. "It's okay Sam. Take a deep breath and try again."

"Your highness," Sam started again. "Your friends are missing." Sam started to sniffle. "They found their horses in a village outside of here. A search party is looking for them." Sam sniffled some more. She was afraid of how DG would react to the news.

DG pulled her in and gave her a big hug. "Sam, that's bad news but I don't blame you." _Oh god, what happened to them?_ DG released Sam from her embrace and then reached in to her pocket. "Here's the other silver coin I promised you."

Sam took the back of her hand and wiped her nose with it. She curtsied again. "Thank you Princess Dorothy."

DG gave her a sad smile. "You better get going Sam. I'm sure that you have other messages to deliver."

Sam nodded at her and ran off in the other direction.

DG continued to her garden. Her steps were slow and heavy. Her gut told her that something terrible had befallen Raw and Calm.

She hoped that when Cain, Jill, and Glitch returned to the garden that they would have better news.

* * *

The twin suns were sinking lower in the sky and DG finally rose from the bench. She had waited outside all afternoon but there had been no sign of Cain, Jill, or Glitch. She was cold and hungry and her gut told her that something was very, very wrong.

As she neared the exit to her garden she heard footsteps approaching. With dismay she thought that she only heard one set. If her ears were right then it was not the trio who had set off to get the books.

She stopped and there in the gateway stood Glitch.

"Are you alone?" she asked solemnly.

Glitch looked to his left, then to his right, and then turned completely around. "Yep."

DG could not help but roll her eyes and smile. But then she turned serious again. "Where's Cain and Jill?"

"Huh?"

With growing alarm she said, "Jill was being questioned by General Turnbaugh's men this morning. Cain was going to go get her, then get you, and then go to get those books from Dr. Addison."

"Oh?……I haven't seen them all day." Glitch answered with concern. He may still have been wounded from last night and this morning but he pushed the pain aside as he realized, along with DG, that his old and new friends might be in trouble.

DG grabbed his arm and was going to start to pull him down the walkway but then she stopped. She relaxed her grip and then looked in to his eyes, "Will you go with me down to the barracks to see if we can find them?"

Glitch looked down at her and smiled. "What are you waiting for doll?"

* * *

They reached the building where General Turnbaugh's office was located. They walked inside and went over to the receptionist's desk.

The receptionist heard them but did not bother to look up from what she was doing. "May I help you?" she asked distractedly. She was trying to get her work done so that she could leave on time.

Before DG could say anything, Glitch leaned over the counter and said quietly, "I think that you need to show some more respect to the princess."

The receptionist, quite annoyed, started to say, "Look, I'll be with you in a minute," and as she looked up her jaw dropped. Never in her life did she expect to see the Princess Dorothy, heroine of the O.Z. standing in front of her, with her trusty headcase by her side.

She jumped up so fast that she knocked over her chair. "I'm so sorry your highness. I'm so sorry," she kept repeating. Papers went flying.

DG finally said, "It's okay. Don't worry about it." The receptionist calmed back down and tried to tidy up the scattered papers the best that she could.

"We're looking for two friends of ours. Major Wyatt Cain and Miss Jill Wilkins. Have you seen them?" DG asked. Her heart was fluttering but she did her best to remain calm and not look distressed.

The receptionist did not say anything for a second. Then her eyes lit up. "Oh, the major? I did see him this morning. He escorted a woman upstairs and then came back down here alone."

"Did he say where he was going?" DG anxiously asked.

"No. Someone left an envelope for him and he opened it before he left. But then I didn't see him return or that woman leave."

DG was ready to press the receptionist for more information when they heard the ding of the elevator. Sergeant Stoddard had a woman on his arm and they were leaving the building. As they walked past they heard him say, "So the police show up to arrest this outworlder and she pulls out this freaking gun on 'em. So I rushed in, grabbed it and… "

"Wait!" DG yelled after them.

They stopped and turned around. The look on Sergeant Stoddard's face was priceless. He never expected to be ever standing that close to royalty in his "real" life.

DG marched over to him. "What was the name of that outworlder?" she demanded.

Stoddard coughed. His mind was racing. He was trying to figure if he could tell only half the truth to princess, maintain his hero status with the broad, and still get lucky tonight.

DG walked closer to him, her fists were clenched. "I said, what was the name of that outworlder?"

"Your highness, her name was Miss Jill Wilkins."

DG's eyes narrowed. "Where were the police taking her?"

"I don't know. I didn't stick around after she was taken in to custody."

Glitch tapped her on the shoulder. She looked up at him. "They would've taken her to 9th Street."

DG's eyes lit up. She knew that he was right. "Well, just what are we waiting for?"

* * *

Elsie was walking home alone, like any other night. For some reason she felt uneasy, like she was being followed. She quickened her gait and as she did so turned to look behind her. Even though no one was there she was still uncomfortable. She clutched her large purse closer to her chest and continued down the street.

The feeling would not leave her and she quickened her gait even more. She could not keep up the pace though and she abruptly turned down an alleyway in order to catch her breath.

She peeked around the corner and saw no one coming down the street.

She turned back around, yelped in surprise, and dropped her purse. There stood a very petite woman with her white hair tied up in a bun. She wore a plain gray coat that matched her plain gray dress. Her coat was open and it exposed her flowered half-apron. In a soft spoken voice that cracked with years she said, "I'm so sorry to scare you honey."

Elsie let out a sigh of relief. "You nearly scared me half to death," she told the old woman.

"Do you think that you could help me for a second?" the old woman asked.

"I suppose that I could. What is it?"

"Good. Can you help me throw a couple of bags of garbage in to the dumpster? I'd ask my grandson, but he's not around," replied the old woman. She started to mumble, "His father's never around, he's never around… you'd think that they would be around to help an old woman like me…"

Elsie sighed and with a bit of slight aggravation she muttered, "Oh, alright." She knew that she should be getting on her way. Her cat, Sparkles, would be whining in the doorway, waiting to be fed.

She walked while the old woman shuffled down the alleyway. The old woman said, "You can call me Mrs. Jeirles."

Out of politeness Elsie replied, "And you may call me Elsie."

"Yes, of course you are my dear." Elsie did not pick up on what Mrs. Jeirles said under her breath.

They reached the dumpster and Elsie grabbed a bag of garbage. She picked it up and the bottom fell out. The slop splattered on to her chambermaid's uniform. Elsie threw what was left of the bag on to ground and then held out her uniform. "Oh would you look at that!" she cried out in frustration. She turned around to further complain to Mrs. Jeirles, but the old woman was nowhere to be found.

"Mrs. Jeirles?" she said out loud a little nervously.

A high sing-song voice called out from behind the dumpster. "Go home did Mrs. Jeirles." A woman with pale green skin and long red hair that reached to her waist emerged from behind the dumpster.

Elsie's expression turned from nervousness to fear as she stared at the figure in front of her. She took a few steps back and bumped in to a body. She abruptly turned around and saw a man with fiery red hair and freckles standing there.

"Call the police!" she squealed. She turned back around and stared at the woman. "They were supposed to all have been killed off!"

Petey said rather nonchalantly, "Really? Why kill her? I've found that I've liked her company."

Elsie turned back around and stared at Petey in utter shock. "What did you say?! The Queen's grandmother commanded that they all be killed! Her breed was nothing more than assassins, loyal only to the highest bidder!"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk…. Feisty one are you," said the woman as she took a few steps closer to Elsie.

Petey then violently shoved Elsie towards the woman. She stumbled and fell into the woman's waiting arms.

The woman then pushed Elsie in to the side of a building with a hard thud.

"Ow…" muttered Elsie meekly. The woman placed her hand over Elsie's mouth. She started to whimper and then cry in muffled sobs.

"There there now," Petey told her. "From what I understand it won't hurt a bit. In fact I've been told that it's a bit erotic."

Elsie whimpered again. The woman whispered in her ear, "Hymnshra, I be named. Command, did the Queen's grandmother give. Betrayed were we but no one would listen. Scattered were we through the far lands. New life found I thru the Father." She paused, and then hissed, "Pay will the royal house of Gale."

Another whimper emerged from Elsie. Hymnshra removed her hand and placed her mouth over Elsie's. It engulfed her completely. She squirmed but Hymnshra held her fast against the wall. She kissed her passionately and pushed her body hard against Elsie's. Petey was enthralled with the display and felt his manhood rise. He put his hand on the dumpster to steady himself.

Then a muffled scream emerged from Elsie and her eyes rolled back in her head. Her hands balled in to fists and her arms flailed wildly. Hymnshra embraced her tightly and continued to push her against the wall. Then flailing slowly stopped and Elsie's skin turned alabaster white.

As soon as it had begun it was over. Hymnshra left Elsie's body drop to the ground. Petey's breathing stopped as he saw Elsie's body turn to white dust.

Hymnshra stood over the pile of white dust. She licked her lips and then turned to Petey who was still steadying himself against the dumpster. She said matter-of-factly, "Soon to die she was anyway."

As before she raised her arms above her head and brought them together. Her body shimmered and there before Petey stood Elsie.

"Whoa."

"Where be my purse?" Elsie coughed and cleared her throat. "Petey! Get my purse."

Petey stood and looked at her a moment longer. The heat that he had been feeling before was gone. He picked up Elsie's purse and handed it to her. "Thank you. Now I need to go home and feed Sparkles. He's probably whining in the doorway."

Petey shook his head and started to walk down the alleyway with Elsie.

_Author's note: Thanks to all who have written a quick review and to those who have been lurking in the shadows. "I promise that I'll see to this to the end with you."_


	27. Chapter 27, Business

Chapter 27, Business

The glow from old worn-down street lamps started to light up the darkening streets and alleyways of Elysian. That was the name the locals gave that seamy side part of town. Every city, no matter how shining, had a dark underbelly, and Central City was no exception. The Queen made every effort to eradicate it; but she succeeded only in driving the residents deeper in to Elysian's nooks and crannies.

Zero knew Elysian well and he easily led Lundgren down through its twisty alleyways. The view was always the same though. Step after heavy step there was nothing but rundown buildings, wandering homeless, pimps herding their whores like cattle, drug addicts begging for their next hit, and out-of-work fathers looking to steal their children's next meal. Lundgren stared at them in shock. He had grown up in Oradour and there was nothing there or in the surrounding villages to compare it to. A fleeting doubt of faith passed through him; was Oradour too perfect? When he was in Church he always gave to the charity collection plate. Father always said that it was to help the downtrodden. If this was how the downtrodden lived then how much was he really helping?

After what seemed like an eternity to him, they stopped in front of yet another run-down building. Once upon a time it may have been a grand residence. But now only broken shutters, flaking pillars, and a few cracked stone steps leading to the main front set of double-doors was all that remained. They climbed the steps and Zero rapped on one of the doors.

There was no answer. Lundgren turned around and watched as the few residents there were on the street quickly walked by. All walked with a purpose and no one stopped to look around or say hello.

Zero rapped again, this time louder.

After another moment's pause the door slowly creaked open. "Come on," Zero said to Lundgren and he motioned for him to follow.

Lundgren's arm dropped to his side. He was ready to draw his gun if the need arose.

They entered the foyer. There was no light other than what came in from the grimy windows. Then they were met with the sweet scent of jasmine. It was an odor that did not fit in with what their eyes told them.

The door slowly creaked shut and after they heard the click of a lock Lundgren drew his gun; however, Zero remained motionless.

The silence was broken by the long draw of metal against metal.

Zero finally spoke, "It's been a long time Kogarashi."

Lundgren cocked and held his gun in his outstretched arm, and slowly turned around in the dark. He was trying to sense where the figure was hiding. He could only hear his own heartbeat in the silence.

Zero reached for his arm, and with an unusual soft touch, pushed it back down. "Kogarashi knows who I am now. Isn't that right?"

Another click was heard and a low hum began to fill the room. Slowly, but surely, the electric lamps mounted on the walls began to light up. It was then that they saw an assortment of raggedly love seats done up in cheap red velvet. Equally cheap dark purple velvet curtains that had seen better days hung from the windows.

In the dim light, they could make out a figure standing underneath an archway. Zero recognized it. He would recognize that figure anywhere. "Atricia," he said in a low voice.

The hairs on the back of Lundgren's neck rose and he abruptly turned around. There, standing behind him, half-hidden by shadow, was Kogarashi. Her long black hair was pulled back in a simple, low slung pony-tail. Her olive skin and bright green eyes were a perfect match while her small and thin build betrayed her hidden strength.

Lundgren's eyes moved down her body and he saw her long, thin swords lowered at her sides. It was then that he realized that this "Kogarashi" was the protector of the brothel that they had entered. Her whole being mesmerized him. He had never seen a woman like her and he felt his breathing quicken a little.

"It's been a long time Zero. I thought that you were dead," said Atricia. Hearing Atricia speak brought Lundgren out of his trance.

Zero took off his imitation tin man hat. "I have been." He walked towards her and heard the almost imperceptible draw of metal on metal again. Lundgren pointed his gun at Kogarashi and held it steady at her head. Their eyes locked and then Kogarashi gave him a sly smile. She was daring him to pull the trigger.

Zero stopped and rolled his eyes with annoyance. Without taking a backwards glance he growled, "God damn it Atricia, will you tell her to stand down?"

Atricia's eyes locked on to Kogarashi's. Nothing was said and nothing had to be. Kogarashi dropped her swords and Lundgren dropped his gun again.

"One can't be too careful and she's proven her loyalty many times," replied Atricia. Her voice was low and sensuous.

This time he did glance back at Kogarashi and said, "No doubt." He looked around the room again and his expression of slight disgust was caught by Atricia.

"Times have been tough. After the Queen sent out her clean-up brigade, we had to move."

He took one last look at the raggedly seats and then turned his attention back to her. He looked at her lustily as he walked over to her, "We have some catching up to do." The Father may have brought him back from the dead but that did not mean that he gave him _life_. Oradour was a nice place to visit but it did not have all of the comforts that he not only was used to, but demanded.

By now Lundgren could see a few additional faces peer out and around from the archway. A set of blonde curly haired twins with the brightest and biggest blue eyes giggled at him and held their fans up to their faces in mock embarrassment.

Atricia wrapped her arm in Zero's and led him through the archway. "Come on Lundgren," he ordered. Atricia noted the giggles from the twins. As she escorted Zero down the dimly hallway, she told them, "Please keep the boy occupied while Zero and I take care of some other business." The twins giggled again and rushed after Lundgren. Before he could do anything, there was one on each side of him pulling him down the hallway.

Atricia had no sooner shut her bed room door when Zero grabbed her and pushed her up against the wall. He was already hard and he ravaged her mouth with his. She moaned and lifted her leg up high enough to wrap it around his waist. She used it to pull him even tighter in to her.

He released her mouth and whispered huskily in to her ear, "I need Ko."

Atricia raked her long nails down his back and he growled from the pain, but it pleasured him. "No."

He grabbed her, dragged her across the room and forced her down on the bed. He held her arms down and hungrily went at her breasts. She moaned from the savage pleasure. He growled again, "I need her for a job."

"You can't have her. The girls need her…I need her," she hissed.

He released her arms. One hand cupped and squeezed her breast and the other tugged on her hair, pulling her head back. He sucked on her neck so hard it left angry red marks. She cried out in pleasure. "I'll leave the boy to protect you."

She took her long nails and dug them in to the back of his sensitive neck. He abruptly stopped and indignantly said "Ow." He rolled off of her and then reached for the back of his neck. He felt the stickiness of his blood.

Atricia sat up. She hissed at him again. "I said that you can't have her! And you're only going to leave a boy in her place?!"

Zero scoffed at her. He thought briefly of the twins. They were too sugary sweet for him but they would be just right for Lundgren. "He won't be a boy by the time the night's through." Then he mockingly said, "Did you really think that I just came here to fuck you?"

Atricia went to slap him and he caught her arm in mid-flight. She glared at him. "Fuck? Why else would you come here?" she answered angrily. Then she added, "But to take Ko? Never."

He still had a good hold on her arm. She struggled to get away from him but could not shake his grip. He grabbed her other arm and forced her down on the bed again. He smothered his mouth with hers. She resisted but then relented. She forced her tongue deep in to his mouth. Her body started to writhe beneath him and it excited him even more. He never realized what she was going to do next.

Atricia wriggled one arm free and reached down to her side. She pulled out a short dagger and pushed it in to a soft spot between his ribs. Zero stopped with a sharp intake of his breath. He bit his tongue as he decided that he was not going to give her that satisfaction. The dagger had pierced through his clothing and his skin. He looked admiringly down at her. He knew that if he moved or if she shoved it any harder, it would plunge in to his lung.

Her eyes narrowed and she told him coolly, "Bring her back alive."

* * *

DG and Glitch ran out of the building and down the walkway. There were going to exit the barracks and then run down to the 9th Street Precinct. They both knew the law. If Jill had been arrested, then there was a good chance that Cain had been arrested too.

"HALT!!" cried out one of the soldiers on duty at the gatehouse.

DG and Glitch stopped in their tracks. Both were panting and had to take a moment to catch their breath.

DG walked towards the gate. The same soldier lowered his gun and again commanded, "Halt!" Though this time it was a little quieter once he recognized Princess Dorothy and Glitch.

"Why?" demanded DG.

The soldier glanced at his other comrade in arms. They all gave him of looks of "you tell her, we're not getting in the middle of it."

"No one is to either leave or enter the royal grounds until further notice," he tried to say as stoically as he could.

DG marched up to him. Again her fists were clenched in anger. She again demanded of the soldier, "And why can't anyone leave or enter?"

The soldier looked at her. "The Princess Azkadellia is being moved."

"Why should that make any difference?" DG said. She was not really asking anyone in particular but found it unsettling that such secrecy was being taken. Then she found herself in a quandary. She desperately wanted to find out what happened to Cain and Jill, but if they were really moving Az, she should be there.

However, the soldier thought that the question was being directed at him. "I don't know your highness. It was our orders."

DG sighed. She silently debated about how far she could push it. Finally she said, "I'm sorry for yelling at you." The soldier only nodded in relief.

The she started to walk away and Glitch took a couple of quick steps to catch up with her.

"What now?" Glitch asked dejectedly.

DG looked up at the twilight sky while folding her arms over her chest. "I don't know Glitch. I guess we go to see what they're doing with Az. I don't understand all the secrecy though… And we still can't get to Cain and Jill, even if they are at 9th Street… And we still need to try to get those books." She threw her hands up in frustration, "God! We just can't be everywhere at once!"

He thought for a moment. Then his head bobbed as though he had just made up his mind about something. "I'll go get Jeb. He needs to know that his dad and Jill are in trouble."

DG's face lit up. "Glitch, that's a great idea!"

Glitch smiled a little, "Sometimes they do happen."

"I'll go see what they're doing with Az, and you can try to find Jeb. Maybe by then they'll be letting everyone back in and out," DG replied.

She approached him to give him a hug. He embraced her but it was not a tight embrace. DG's eyes opened back up and she realized that it felt like she was giving her Great Aunt Edna a hug. She swallowed but then put her happy face back on. She looked up at him, "Be careful Glitch."

Glitch smiled as gently as he could back at her, "You too doll."


	28. Chapter 28, Switch

Chapter 28, Switch

DG reached her parent's chamber door. Five guards, Dr. Addison, her father, and the Provost Marshall Collins stood outside the door. It was quite the scene and DG had to push her way through the small throng.

She took one look at her father and gasped. He was sweating profusely and was as white as a ghost. "Father? Are you okay?"

He had a small white handkerchief and he used it to wipe the sweat from his brow. He looked unsteady on his feet. "I'll be all right DG. I just have the start of a bad cold that's all."

Before she could say anything her father continued, "Your mother and the chambermaids are getting Az ready. Once they're done she'll be moved to the barracks."

"Oh…okay." DG reached for the door. She gave her father one last worried look and asked, "Are you _sure_ you're going to be okay?"

Ahamo gave her a tired smile, "Yes DG, I'll be all right. I took some medicine just like your mother told me too." He motioned for her to go on inside. Then he said, "After Az is moved I'll go right to bed." DG gave him a weak smile of approval and went inside. She knew that it was pointless to argue. She would be the same way.

As she entered the chamber she saw Elsie and one of Dr. Addison's nurses standing near a window. She found her mother sitting on the edge of her bed, stroking Azkadellia's hair. The Queen glanced behind her and upon realizing that it was just her, asked "DG! Where have you been all day?" However it was more of a demand than a question.

Without waiting for a response she went on, "You haven't been in your chamber. I asked both Meredith and Kyra myself."

There was a pause and finally DG answered, "I was down in my garden." For once she felt like she did not have to lie. She truly was in her garden.

"Again?," she asked, sounding irritated. But then she caught herself. She felt relieved that DG was now there and appeared to be feeling better. She softened her tone and said, "Oh DG, it's a wonder that you haven't caught a cold. I swear that your father is coming down with one."

They heard footsteps and DG turned to see who was making them. It was Meredith. She had emerged from the bath room with a handful of towels. She said, "Here are the towels that you requested. I will lay them down at the edge of the bed and then will return with the basin of warm water. Kyra is drawing it now."

The Queen looked up at her. In a tired, but kind voice she told her, "Thank you Meredith." Then her attention turned to Elsie. "Thank you as well Elsie for returning to work on such notice and giving direction to the other chambermaids. We all appreciate it and your leadership is duly noted."

Elsie smiled and simply nodded her head. She then returned to the bath room with Meredith. They could hear water being drawn and DG pictured Elsie hovering over Meredith and Kyra, telling them how to do it the correct way; like she did any other day.

DG pulled over a chair so that she could sit near her mother. She took a deep breath. "Jill was arrested today."

The Queen turned around so that she could look at her youngest daughter. "For what?"

Without hesitation she answered, "Probably because of your outworlder law. Why else?" She stopped. She waited for a response from her mother but none was given.

"Glitch and I went down to General Turnbaugh's office to find her and Cain. One of the soldiers' said that she had been arrested."

The Queen drew in a sharp breath and then held her tongue. Just hearing her daughter speak of looking for Cain, with or without Glitch, did not sit well with her. "How did you know to start looking there?"

There had not been any tension in the room until that moment. DG sensed her mother's displeasure. "Cain and Glitch came by this morning while I was in the garden. He told me that you ordered him to take her to Turnbaugh's office for questioning."

The Queen sat silent. She reached out for Azkadellia's hand and held it. It was cool to the touch.

"If she was arrested, then probably Cain was too." She then asked her mother accusingly, "Did you tell Turnbaugh to arrest her after he was done interrogating her?"

The Queen dropped Azkadellia's hand and glared at her. "How dare you insinuate that I had a hand in her arrest? The law is the law. If it was discovered either before or after her questioning that she did not properly register then she should be arrested. And furthermore you do not know if Cain was arrested or not."

"Mother!" exclaimed DG. She could not believe that her mother seemed so unemotionally detached. How could she not be concerned that Jill had been arrested and that Cain was nowhere to be found? How could she not question how or why?

The Queen sighed and then said in a tired voice. "DG, the law was put in to place in order to monitor human trafficking."

"I know why the law was put in to place! I just can't believe that you're just accepting all of this." By now DG was on the edge of her seat and talking with her hands. "Fine… The law worked and it caught Jill. But then why do you have to go through all of this protocol to get information from her? I'm sure that she wants to know why she's been brought here just like any of us do." She paused to catch her breath and then said defiantly, "I'm sure that Cain's been arrested too. It's not like him to not show up."

The Queen tried to be sympathetic. "It's unfortunate that this has happened. But not even I can go above the law. DG, sometimes we have to put aside our feelings and do what is right for the public good."

DG knew all too well of the materials that had been smuggled in to the O.Z. through the travel storms. Hell, she had helped identify some of the stuff. She knew too of the military's failure to capture the originators of the storms. It was at that moment that DG realized that her mother and General Turnbaugh might be using Jill, and may be even Cain too. Whether it was to set an example to the populace, deeper suspicions of treason, or worse of all, bait; it did not matter. It made her sick to her stomach. DG glared back at her mother. "Even if it means sacrificing our friends?"

They were interrupted by the sound of footsteps. Kyra, followed by Meredith and Elsie, came out of the bath room with a large basin of warm water. She put it on the nightstand next to the bed. Elsie asked the Queen, "Shall we begin to bathe the princess?"

The Queen took note of DG's confused look. She asked, "What is it DG?"

"Nothing," she replied. _Shall? Who uses the word shall? _She smirked to herself. _Mother probably yelled at her for lack of protocol._

They started to bathe Azkadellia. Every once in a while she murmured but never woke up.

DG was still sulking over her mother's apparent refusal to do anything else to help either Jill or Cain. As she watched the chambermaids she leaned back in her chair and asked "Why can't anyone leave or enter the grounds?" She wanted to know why since she had already made up her mind that once Az was moved, she was going to go down to 9th Street; with or without her mother's help.

"It was on advisement of the Provost Marshall."

"So?"

The Queen drew in another sharp breath and held it. It was plainly evident that her daughter was sore in more ways than one. "He continues to believe that Azkadellia is a risk to the public safety. The less public access, the more secure we will all be."

The chambermaids were beginning to clean up when they heard voices of confusion and subsequent commotion from the hallway. A guard hollered for help. DG ran over to the door and opened it up. She stared in shock at the sight before her. "Mother!" she cried out.

The Queen left Azkadellia and ran over to the doorway.

Ahamo was thrashing wildly on the floor. His eyes had rolled in to the back of his head and his flesh had turned to a sick gray-green color.

Dr. Addison was kneeling beside him and he was yelling instructions to the other guards. The Queen cried out "Ahamo!" and went to be beside him but was gently pulled from behind by PM Collins. "Please mi'lady," he begged of her. "Stand here beside me. We need to allow Dr. Addison to treat him."

PM Collins then said loudly above the mayhem, "Princess Dorothy! Please shut the door! The chambermaids should not see this."

DG shook her head. She was still numb with shock at seeing her father in such a condition. She had never seen any one turn the color that he was now. Collins yelled out again at her, "Princess!" She nodded and then shut the door behind her.

* * *

After DG shut the door, Elsie nodded to Meredith, Kyra, and the nurse.

Elsie raised and brought her hands above her head. She shimmered and there standing before them was Hymnshra. They were in awe of the transformation. They had been told about it, but none had actually seen it done before.

Hymnshra hissed at them, "Hurry!"

Her one word spurred them into action. From then on no further words had to be spoken since all knew their respective part.

Hymnshra quickly walked over to Azkadellia and placed her mouth over hers. Azkadellia's eyes quivered and her back arched briefly, but then she went limp again. As she started to turn slightly pale Hymnshra released her. She placed her ear near Azkadellia's nose to make sure that she was still breathing. She did not want to kill her but only take enough of her essence so that she could be her for a little while.

"She yet lives," she said to Meredith and Kyra. It took the three of them to prop up Azkadellia. But once she was propped up and steadied, Meredith and Kyra were able to move her in to the bath room with relative ease.

The palace was very old. Over the annuals it grew as each generation added rooms and entire wings to it. The result was a hodgepodge of passageways that were either intentionally created for escape in the event of an attack, or by accident.

Whether it was known to the Queen or not, there was a secret passageway that led from the bath room to the lower levels of the palace. It was an accidental passageway that was created when the rooms had been renovated to accommodate indoor plumbing.

Hymnshra opened the secret entrance leading to the passageway. Meredith and Kyra gently laid Azkadellia's limp body on to the simple mattress that had been placed there earlier. She would not be left alone long. Already they could hear their brethren climbing the steps to retrieve her. Meredith laid a blanket over her and Hymnshra quickly closed the entranceway. She took one last look to verify that nothing appeared to have been disturbed.

The voices outside the chamber door were muffled but they could make out Dr. Addison's voice telling his medical assistants how to strap Ahamo to the stretcher.

Hymnshra quickly went over to the bed and crawled up on it. Then, as before, she raised her arms above her head. Another shimmer, and there knelt Azkadellia. The nurse was already by her side with shot in hand. Azkadellia lifted her nightgown to expose her leg.

Azkadellia nodded and the nurse plunged the needle in her thigh. Azkadellia grimaced but it was soon replaced by her fluttering eyes. Her body went limp and collapsed on to the bed.

The nurse, Meredith, and Kyra rearranged and covered her body. Then Meredith gently kissed her on the forehead and whispered, "May the Father protect you."

Through the mayhem that occurred as a result of Ahamo's collapse, no one, including DG, had noticed that Elsie had gone missing.

DG followed the small troop that moved Azkadellia to the barracks while her mother stayed behind to be with her husband in the palace's infirmary.

Dr. Addison visited both of his patients often. Even DG tolerated being in his presence, since it meant that he brought news of her father. But there was no change in either's condition. It was a very long night.

* * *

Cain opened up his eyes. He was lying on his back and found himself starting at the underside of the top bunk bed. He brought his hands up and tried to rub the sleepiness out his eyes. He had no idea of what time it was but thought that it might be morning since he heard the stirrings of the other cellmates. He wearily sat up on the edge of his bed and rubbed his neck. It still hurt. Add that to his other aches and pains and he was going to be in a ripe mood.

In his mind's eye he could still see Jill being hauled off by Costello. Then he felt the blow from that damn gun of Petey's. What was it he said to him? Oh yeah, it went something like, "That'll teach you for interfering". _Great. Petey's dirty, Dr. Addison is in on it, I'm in here, DG's out there, and only the gods know where Jill's at._

As he continued to rub his neck his thoughts turned back to Costello from sometime during the night before.

* * *

"It's about time you woke up sweetheart," Costello said. It was late and he was long overdue for supper. He thought of his children. They would already be in bed. Then he thought of his wife. These late nights had been hard on her.

Cain slowly sat up from his bed and groggily asked, "Where am I?"

"In a holding cell at 9th Street."

It finally registered in his brain that the deep voice was that of his friend Costello. "Where's Jill?" he asked without looking up from the floor of his cell. He was silently wishing that he had not sat up so soon. He felt dizzy even just sitting there.

Costello replied matter-of-factly, "In a holding cell in the women's section."

"Alone?"

"Yeah."

_Good, at least for now. _He concentrated on a stain on the floor. "That god damn Petey hit me with the butt of his gun Costello."

He heard Costello shift and he finally looked up at him. He was leaning against the cell bars. "He said that you were resisting arrest."

"You really think that?"

"Why not?," he sarcastically replied. Then his tone softened again. "Wyatt, what the hell am I supposed to think? Jill has no paperwork and you give her a gun to run around with."

"You know that we went down there to register her." Cain rebutted.

Costello sighed. "I don't doubt it Wyatt but there's no paperwork to prove it. Everyone, and I mean everyone, has gone through their files." He stopped and took a hold of a bar. It pained him to see his old friend sitting there on the other side but the law was the law. He said gruffly, "Even if she did have her paperwork, she's not licensed to have a firearm. That's grounds enough to hold both of you in here."

He turned to leave. Cain called after him, "That RDX is royal demolition explosive."

Costello stopped and turned around. "So she knew what it was?"

"It's a high powered explosive from her world but said that something else was mixed in with it. She doesn't know what those shiny flakes are."

Costello said nothing. Cain stood up and gingerly walked over to the cell bars. He felt a little wobbly but shook it off. He took a hold of a bar and whispered, "Paul, that shit can be molded like clay. You can make it look like anything and you wouldn't know the difference."

Costello looked in to his old friend's face. His eyes betrayed the look of exhaustion. "So, what are you saying Wyatt? That stuff we found in Spencer's apartment was the same stuff used to blow up downtown?

"Yeah."

Costello shook his head. "I'll send word to the Royal Academy that I'm looking for an update on the batch that we sent over. If it's the same stuff then we have a big problem."

Cain added, "There's more." He paused as Costello raised an eyebrow. "You were right about the palace trying to cover it up. The military's been tracking and rounding up what they can. They haven't been able to catch who's been generating those travel storms though. On top of that the Queen wanted General Turnbaugh's men to interrogate Jill to see if she could provide them any clues as to why so much stuff was being transferred."

"Does the Queen think that Jill's in on it?" asked Costello. He thought back to the argument that they had had in Spencer's apartment about her.

"No. She thinks that she just got caught up in it." Costello saw Cain's grip tighten on the bars. He knew that he too remembered their argument in the apartment and of Costello accusing Jill being in on whatever conspiracy was playing out.

For a few seconds neither said anything. Then Costello asked, "So that's why Jill was in the building where General Turnbaugh's office is?"

"Yeah," he answered curtly. He had to ask his next question, "How did you know to go to his office building?"

Costello looked around at the other cells. So far he had not been harassed by any of the other inmates. It would start soon though. It did not look good for any officer to be holding a whispered conversation with any them.

He turned to leave. As he did so, he answered, "I got an anonymous tip."

He did not turn back around to see Cain's expression.

"You know it's Petey don't you?"

He did not answer him. As he walked past the cells, the other inmates started their whooping and hollering.

* * *

He heard a double set of footsteps coming down the hallway. They stopped in front of his cell. He looked up and saw two officers, one stood at the ready with gun in hand while the other unlocked his cell. They opened the door and walked in.

One took out a pair of handcuffs and coldly told him, "Put out your hands."

Cain slowly stood up and held out his hands as he was told. "Where are we going?"

The other officer spoke up, "You have a visitor."

They then led him out of his cell and they walked down the hallway.


	29. Chapter 29, Evil Hamsters

Chapter 29, Evil Hamsters

Cain was led to a large white washed room. The few windows that were there were covered with the now familiar iron bars. Even first thing in the morning the room was a buzz with other prisoners and visitors having hushed conversations. Guards, holding their guns out in the open were spaced alongside the back wall every few feet. The prisoners were stationed in front of them, one guard per prisoner. Cain saw that most visitors were either dressed as lawyers or appeared to be family. His visitor was no exception.

His guard motioned for him to sit down. He told him, "Since its family you have fifteen minutes." Then he left Cain alone and took his position behind him along the back wall.

Sitting on the other side of the bars was Jeb.

Jeb looked at his father. He moved wearily when he sat down and he had deep dark circles under his eyes. He looked like hell. Never in his life did he expect to have to talk to him while he was _on the other side_.

"How you doing?" He placed odds on which answer he would hear.

"I've been better. You?"

Jeb shrugged and tried to give him an encouraging smile. "Okay so far."

Cain spoke quickly. He knew that fifteen minutes was not really that long of time. "How did you find us?"

Jeb sensed the urgency. "Glitch of all people. He said that DG was going to come along but that the grounds were locked down; no one could leave and no one could enter." With Cain's nod of understanding he continued. "They were moving Azkadellia from the palace to the barracks."

Cain could not help but smile as he thought of good old Glitch. Those fleeting moments of clarity could drive him batty but when it came down to it, you could never count him out. Then he turned serious again.

"Have you been able to talk to Jill?"

Jeb sighed and shook his head. "No, they won't let me visit her."

Cain leaned forward in his chair. "Why not?"

"Go ahead and name a reason. I'm willing to bet that it was one that they told me," he challenged his father. "They gave me every excuse in the book. First it was that all of the visitor stations were occupied. Then it was that she hadn't seen a public defender. Then it was that she was in the breakfast hall." He left his voice trail off.

Cain rubbed his forehead and his eyes the best that he could. "You know that's all bullshit."

"Yeah. I finally pinned down Costello and he told me that you were going to be charged with aiding an outworlder, supplying an unregistered gun, and resisting arrest."

Cain leaned back in his chair again. "He didn't tell you that it was Petey Staggart who cold cocked me with his hand gun did he?"

Jeb gave him a look of surprise.

"Petey was the one who snuck up behind me when I was watching Costello lead Jill in to the squad car. I know that he suspects that Petey is working the other side but he doesn't have proof."

Cain glanced at the clock on the wall. Time was growing short.

"You need to get DG to Addison's office to look at some books. It goes back to what Jill was saying in the Wolfsangel about those symbols on the wall. You remember what they were right?" Jeb nodded his head.

Cain continued, "And be sure to take Glitch too."

Jeb then asked, "And what about you and Jill?"

"Keep after Costello and the judge to have them release us, either through bail, our own recognizance, or whatever. Even if we have to stay in Central City, at least we won't be in here," he replied.

"Father?"

"Yeah son?"

"Watch yourself. Once the other inmates find out who you are there's going to be trouble."

Cain looked at him. Both concern and anxiety were clearly etched on his face. "I know son." He tried to reassure him but even he doubted that he succeeded. It was true though. While unlikely he would encounter any inmate he personally arrested, surely his reputation preceded him.

The guard who had escorted him earlier reappeared by his side. "Time to go Cain," he said. Both Cains rose from their chairs.

Cain stood up as straight as he could and lifted his head high. "Be careful son. It's a dangerous time again." The guard took his arm and began to lead him away.

Jeb nodded his head. He watched his father and the guards leave the room and then turned to leave himself. He was headed back to try one last time to see Jill.

* * *

Glitch was told that DG had gone back to the palace's infirmary. As he stepped quietly through the private room where Ahamo was taken, he saw the Queen, asleep in a chair, with a light blanket over top of her. Her face was pale and her hair was disheveled. Her arm was outstretched and she held Ahamo's hand in hers. It was a rare moment that Glitch wished more of the populace could see. Right now, she was not the Queen. She was a worried wife whose husband was gravely ill.

The two nurses who had been standing at attention near Ahamo's bed angrily gestured for him to be quiet. He pointed towards DG and exaggeratedly mouthed the words "I HAVE TO TALK TO HER." Both nurses frowned at him but left him go.

He walked over to DG. She was sound asleep in another chair. She clutched the edge of her blanket. He did not know if she did out of fear from a nightmare or if she was looking for comfort. It bothered him irregardless of the reason. He knelt down in front of her and gently shook her shoulder. She woke up with a start.

"Shhh….."

It took her a second to comprehend that it was Glitch kneeling in front of her. She gave him a weak smile and said, "I guess I fell asleep."

Her gaze shifted to her mother and father. A nurse quickly and silently walked over. She whispered, "The Lord has been asleep for a few hours. However his fever, while not as strong, is still present. The Queen has also been asleep for a few hours."

DG whispered back, "Thank you. And be sure to thank the other nurse too for watching over him."

The nurse merely nodded her acknowledgment and returned to her post.

Glitch whispered to her with a sense of pride, "I was able to find Jeb."

DG's eyes lit up. Something went right for a change. In an excited voice she whispered back, "That's great!"

He went on to tell her how he escaped the guards through a few secret paths and found Jeb at his fiancée's home.

DG's expression went from excitement to one of worry, "You didn't tell Samantha's parents did you?"

"Oh no. You know I wouldn't do something like that. I was very proper and asked Jeb to step outside so that I could give him a message. After I told him what happened, he excused himself." Glitch started to digress a little, "Jeb can be a very proper gentleman when he wants to be. He must have taken some protocol classes."

DG reached from underneath her blanket and placed her hand on his shoulder. Still using a hushed tone she interrupted him, "Glitch! Was he going to go down to 9th Street to find his Dad and Jill?"

Glitch looked in to her eyes and refocused himself. "Of course! He told me that that he was going to go back to their house to get cleaned up, get a few hours of rest, and then go down first thing this morning. He was certain that they were down there so he said that if he could do anything, it would not be until this morning anyway. That's when he invited me to stay overnight."

DG looked back over at her father. He was still that weird gray-green color but it was not as vivid as before. She tried to remember what Dr. Addison and some of the other doctors thought that he had. _Corobus Fever_. _That's what they called it._

Glitch asked, "Have the doctors figured out what your father has?"

She looked back over at him. "Did you ever hear of Corobus Fever?"

His brow furled in deep thought. It was so bad that DG thought his zipper was going to break open with a loud POP! from the strain.

Glitch looked back up at her with satisfaction. "AHA!" he said too loudly. The nurses glared at him and went "Shhhh!" The Queen stirred in her chair.

"SORRY," he exaggeratedly mouthed again. In a hushed tone he said, "I remember now. You get it if a little corobus bites you. Why would there be a little corobus running around this time of year?"

DG smiled. It made her happy that he remembered. "I don't know. The doctors just said that it was rare." Then her thoughts turned sour again. _Unusual_ was what the one doctor said. Corobuses were little furry creatures and when they were described to her; they sounded like evil little hamsters that would gnaw your ankle off if given the chance. Not only were their bites poisonous, but their also their saliva and the oil from their skin. If a person was sensitive then they could fall ill just from touching their fur or even just by touching an object that had been contact with one of the little bastards. Certainly her father knew better and would have avoided it if he had seen it. They usually went dormant during the winter but then one of the doctors said that if they found a warm spot they would come out of hibernation. It was then that the Queen ordered that the palace be searched and traps set out for the vermin.

"Hmmmmmm….." was his reply. Then he remembered his orders from Jeb. "Jeb told me that I was to make sure that you were safe, that you ate breakfast, and got dressed."

"He did, did he?" she replied. Some days, from the things that he said, he reminded her of his father.

"He's going to come back here after he's done at the Precinct."

DG rose from her chair and draped the blanket over it. Since it looked like her parents were stable for the moment she decided to take Jeb's _advice_ and get breakfast. "You hungry?"

Glitch replied with a silly grin, "Always." The situation was grave but it made him feel better seeing DG flashing a slight smile.

* * *

Samantha walked through the kitchen. She knew that her mother would not be pleased, at least at first.

She went in to the foyer and yelled up the staircase, "Mama! Can you come down here for a second?"

"Just a minute dear!"

After a few minutes wait, Mrs. Poulton came down the staircase. She asked, "What is it Samantha?"

She stopped on the last step.

Samantha was holding a jet black cat with brilliant green eyes. It purred contentedly in her arms.

Mrs. Poulton frowned. "Oh Samantha. Why did you bring that home? You know how your father hates cats."

Samantha rubbed the cat's head and the purring grew louder. "I know Mama but I couldn't resist. She was on our back step meowing so pitifully. And look how she lets me hold her. She must have been someone's pet and they abandoned her."

Mrs. Poulton headed towards the kitchen. "Does it have a collar?"

"No. But I'll get one on my way home from the store," Samantha replied.

Mrs. Poulton opened up one of the cabinet doors and pulled out two saucers. Then she went to the refrigerator and peered inside. She was looking for leftovers. "Speaking of the store dear, you're late."

Samantha glanced up at the kitchen clock. _Oh crap!_ Her mother was right.

She gently dropped the cat to the floor and rushed out in to the foyer closet to get her coat. As she put it on, she asked, "Are you okay with watching Blackie?"

Her mother had already poured some milk into one of the saucers and was chopping up some left over meat from the prior night's supper for the other. She smiled and asked, "Is that what you've named it?"

"Of course," Samantha smirked. "Papa will have to accept her now."

She gave her mother a quick peck on the cheek and flew out the door. "Thank you Mama! See you later tonight!"

Mrs. Poulton went over to the kitchen door and closed it tightly. She said to the cat, "Well Blackie, welcome to your new home."


	30. Chapter 30, Stay Strong Kiddo

Chapter 30, Stay Strong Kiddo

Jeb walked out of the 9th Street station and stopped near one of the twin fountains. The populace had woken up and he watched tin men, regular police, and civilians hurriedly go about their business. The wind picked up and a loose newspaper tumbled towards him. He picked it up and read the main headline. It screamed, "WHERE ARE THE ROYALS?" Other articles screamed, "PRINCESSES ARE A NO-SHOW" and "UNEMPLOYMENT JUMPS". He folded the newspaper under his arm and turned to take one last look at the imposing police station. After he left his father he had tried one last time to see Jill and was refuted by everyone. He was not even granted an opportunity to see her public defender.

As he continued down the street, he prayed that he would have better luck with DG and Glitch.

It took some time but he did finally meet up with DG and Glitch. They were on their way to the barracks' infirmary to see Azkadellia.

When DG caught sight of him she broke out in to a full run and practically leapt in to his arms.

"Whoa! Easy there DG I'm okay."

She looked up at him and said, "I'm sorry Jeb but I can't help it. I'm just so happy that at least one of us is all right."

As gently as he could he pushed her away. Even though DG was his friend there was no need to make a scene, especially in the middle of the barracks' quad.

He looked over to Glitch, "Did you make sure that she got something to eat?"

Glitch nodded, smiled, and did his best impression of a soldier saluting his commanding officer. Jeb snickered.

As they started to walk towards the infirmary, DG asked seriously, "What about your Dad and Jill? Did you see them?"

Jeb sighed. "I saw Father for fifteen minutes but I wasn't able to see Jill at all."

DG looked up in astonishment. "What do you mean that you couldn't see Jill?"

A few soldiers came upon them and stopped and saluted in front of Jeb. DG and Glitch stepped off to the side and watched the soldiers as they handed him a few papers and he paused to read them. He signed them and they went on their way.

Jeb continued where they were at before they were interrupted. "It's like I told Father, go ahead and name an excuse and I bet it's the same one they told me."

Surprisingly it was Glitch who then asked, "Was that before or after you saw your Dad?" For whatever reason he was able to keep focus on the conversation at hand and he decided that he had better take advantage of it.

Jeb looked at him. He was as surprised as well. "I tried once before and once after I saw him Glitch." Then he added, "They're both going to be charged under that outworlder law. On top of that Father's going to be charged with supplying an unregistered firearm and resisting arrest. Jill's going to have an additional charge of carrying an unregistered firearm."

An expression of shock crossed both DG's and Glitch's faces. Glitch then exclaimed "Cain supplied Jill with a gun?"

DG gently took a hold of his arm. "I know Glitch. I'm as shocked as you are. It doesn't sound like him. But he must feel like something terrible is going on. Especially if he felt like he had to chance giving Jill a gun in order to protect herself."

Jeb turned his attention back to DG. "He told me that I'm to help you and Glitch find some books."

DG smiled sadly. "Yeah. It started out that he was going to take Jill and Glitch." She glanced to see if she could see any change in Glitch but there was none. "He said that I shouldn't go since they would have to go through Dr. Addison and that it might be a trap." She looked down at the walkway and kicked at a stray stone. "So much for worrying about me falling in to a trap. We should've been more worried about your Dad and Jill."

Glitch put his arm over her shoulders, "DG, none of us saw this coming."

"Glitch is right DG," agreed Jeb. "I told Father about the law and he told me that he had taken Jill down to register. I thought that it was a done deal." He thought back to the sight of his father in handcuffs. "He thinks that Petey Staggart had something to do with the arrests."

Both DG and Glitch looked over at him with confused expressions. DG asked, "Who's Petey Staggart?"

"A cop at the 9th Street Precinct. Father says that when he was watching Jill being led away Petey came up behind him and knocked him unconscious," Jeb replied without looking at them. "There's no proof that he's working the other side though."

DG through, _Lovely, there's dirty cops now too._

They approached the entrance to the barracks infirmary. "Jeb, there's something else too," she said.

"What's that?"

"Raw and Calm are missing. They were supposed to arrive the other day but haven't yet. A search party was sent out after they found only their horses. They still haven't turned up anything."

Jeb sighed heavily. He knew neither Raw nor Calm very well. They did not visit often since Raw worked to try to regroup his kind. He tried to sound encouraging to DG, "I'm sure that they'll turn up."

DG tried to smile back but he knew as well as she that it was an unsettling coincidence.

* * *

There was no change in Azkadellia. Both Glitch and Jeb stood near the doorway as DG held her sister's hand. In a hushed voice they heard her demand of the attending doctor, "Why hasn't she woken up yet? She's supposed to be off the drugs."

"I'm sorry your highness, but neither myself nor the other doctors know. The last record of her receiving any medication was yesterday. It should have worn off by now."

DG hissed loudly, "Where's Dr. Addison?"

The doctor replied rather sternly, "He has not yet signed in today. Due to last night's events he stated that unless there was a significant change in the princesses' condition, then he would not make his rounds until late this afternoon."

"I see," DG replied coolly. "So Az not waking up when she's supposed to is not a significant enough change in her condition?"

The doctor tried to remain as professional as he could. "Please understand your highness that all patients react differently to the same medication. Her vital signs continue to be stable and are within normal limits. It may be that she is more sensitive to the medication and needs additional time to recover."

Azkadellia stirred and the nurse rearranged the blanket that was on top of her.

The doctor continued, "We will immediately send word to you if her condition changes." Between the lines he was effectively saying that it was time for them to go.

DG took in a deep breath and then bent over to give her sister a soft kiss on her forehead. She took one parting look at her, glared at the doctor and the nurse and then turned to leave. As she went out the door, she told Jeb and Glitch, "Let's go pay a visit."

* * *

Jill and only a few other women were led in to the dining hall. She was told that while the men and women prisoners were housed in the same building, each were kept separate from the other. However, due to space limitations they had to share some of the facilities. One of those facilities was the dining hall. The women were scheduled to eat after the men were finished.

As they were led in to the hall they could hear the conversations of the maintenance and janitorial staff. On the one side of the room they were picking up pieces of broken chairs, rearranging the tables, and cleaning up food that had spilled on to the floor.

Behind Jill one of the prisoners asked a guard, "Was there a fight?"

"Yes." The guard said nothing more and by the tone of his voice they were not supposed to ask any more either.

They continued through the chow line. Jill reached for a plate of steaming unidentifiable food. As she was handed it the cook behind the line told her in a low voice, "Stay strong kiddo."

Jill nearly dropped the plate. "What did you just say?"

"Move it!" said the guard that was near her. She put the steaming plate on her tray and continued down the chow line. _Stay strong kiddo_. _Is that what I really heard?_

All of the women were ushered over to a single large table. They ate in silence as they watched the last of the cleanup. Jill looked down at her plate and picked at the mushy white stuff. She thought that it resembled creamed chipped dried beef but the taste was far from it.

One of the women finally spoke. "I hear that an old tin man is in here." That's all it took to get the conversation started. Jill did not participate though. She continued to pick at what was supposed to be her lunch but she was hung on every word that was being spoken by the other women. For everyone being in isolation, news traveled fast. At the end of lunch she did not know much more than what she knew at the beginning of the meal. The tin man that they described sounded like Cain. Was he the one that was able to get a message to her? The cook didn't speak to anyone else. Had he been in the fight? If he was, what do they do to them? Throw them in solitary? As she rose from the table she told her brain to shut up. Cain was here and he got a message to her. _Stay strong kiddo_. That was all that mattered now.

* * *

Their footsteps echoed in the great halls of the Royal Academy. Students and faculty stared at them as they walked by. None could remember the last time they saw a member of the royal family walk down the old hallways. Of course they gave DG the proper respect that a princess deserved, but it did not preclude them from staring at her in both confusion and awe.

They reached Dr. Addison's office and DG knocked loudly on his door. There was no answer. She knocked loudly again. No response. She reached for the door knob. She jiggled it and found it to be locked. She looked up at Jeb, "Can you open it?"

Jeb looked back at her. He knew it was pointless to ask but he did anyway, "Are you sure you want to do this? You don't want to wait for Dr. Addison?"

DG had made up her mind. "Jeb, we don't have time to wait for him."

Jeb gently pushed her aside and reached in to his pocket and pulled out a set of lock picks.

Glitch looked down the hallway and saw one of the deans accompanied by other faculty. They were deep in conversation and had not yet spotted the trio.

He quickly tapped Jeb on the shoulder and said, "Wait! People are coming."

The dean looked up from his conversation and saw them standing there. He slowly walked over to them and bowed to DG. "Good afternoon Princess Dorothy."

DG took a deep breath and replied in a formal voice, "Good afternoon to you as well."

The dean rose slowly. He was old, very old, and frail. However, his quick eyes and strong voice betrayed his years. "Please excuse my forwardness; however, do you need directions Princess Dorothy? It is unusual to see a member of the royal family here at the academy."

"Thank you dean; however, since Dr. Addison is not here we will continue on our way," she replied.

"Of course your highness," the dean said. He gazed at Glitch and shifted uncomfortably. As of yet Glitch did not recognize him. Long before the days of headcases and the witch, he had been one of Ambrose's acquaintances at the academy. Ambrose accepted a position on the royal advisory council and he stayed behind. Seeing him there made his old heart feel heavy. He had gone deep underground when the witch started to round up the senior members of the academy and the council. He weeped the day that he had heard that Ambrose was taken and his brain removed. His friend died that day. Now seeing Glitch standing before him brought back all of the old memories. He shook his head. Glitch was not Ambrose. His friend was still dead.

One of the faculty members gently tugged him on his arm. "Sir, are you feeling all right?"

"Of course Professor Rillo, of course," the old dean replied. "Princess Dorothy, if you have further business in the academy and are in need of direction please see the main desk in the lobby."

"Thank you," answered DG. They stood still as they watched the group continue down the hallway. As Jeb went back to picking the lock, Glitch said to no one in particular, "Where have I seen him before?"

With a satisfying click, the lock yielded to Jeb. He rushed the two of them inside and quietly closed the door.

The sunlight came in strong through the windows. A large wooden desk faced the entrance and was centered beneath one of the windows. One entire wall was lined with bookcases and was filled top to bottom with thick volumes. Jeb and DG started to look at the books; desperately seeking any that may be from her world. Another wall was dedicated to study and research since it contained all the typical wares of a science lab. Glass beakers, vials of strange liquids and chemicals, and odd instruments of dissection were just some of the objects. Glitch examined the tables that were full of experiments in process. He excitedly picked up a small ball of gray putty that had shiny flakes. "I wonder what this is?" Jeb took a backwards glance over his shoulder and saw Glitch holding up the ball of putty. Even from his distance he saw the glint of the flakes. "Glitch!" he loudly hissed. "Put that down!"

DG stopped her looking and anxiously watched as Jeb took long strides to get to Glitch. "What's wrong?" she quickly asked in a loud whisper. She looked towards the door. They were going to have to hurry.

Jeb took the putty and put it back where Glitch had found it. "That's an explosive!"

"What!?" Glitch exclaimed and nearly stumbled backwards.

"It's an explosive from DG's and Jill's world. Jill had some from the other night."

DG walked over to where Jeb and Glitch were standing. On the table were assorted blocks of the putty. Some of the packages were wrapped and marked with the letters RDX and others were opened. "What would Dr. Addison be doing with explosive?"

"I don't know DG but we need to find those books and get out of here. Dr. Addison could be back at any minute."

All three went back to looking in the bookcase. Finally towards the bottom shelf of one of the bookcases DG found some textbooks. She took them out and looked at them. One looked to be a high-school world history text book, and two looked to be focused on European history. She stood up and asked, "Have you guys found anything?"

Jeb answered, "Nothing yet. What do you have there?"

"They're history books but I don't know if they're right or not. Dr. Addison wanted Jill to look at some but they sounded more like science books. These will have to do for now."

Jeb asked Glitch, "Find anything?"

After seeing Glitch shake his head no, Jeb said, "We better get going."

They stood out in the hallway as Jeb locked the door. Glitch carried the books and did his best to stay hidden behind Jeb and DG as they walked through the Royal Academy. They were headed back to her chamber.

* * *

Dr. Addison was in the bedroom of his private residence. He had just showered and was getting ready to go see Azkadellia and Lord Ahamo. As he was combing his hair he felt the all too familiar burn of the mark. He stumbled over to his bed and sat down.

A moment later he could hear the Father's voice in his head. "Xavier."

"Yes Father," he replied.

"How fairs the princess and Hymnshra?"

Dr. Addison thought slowly, "The princess has been taken to the safe house. Hymnshra successfully morphed in to Azkadellia and has been placed in a light coma. She will wake up on her own in about twenty or thirty days time."

There was no sound except for his breathing. Then the Father spoke again, "And of the Queen and the Lord Ahamo?"

"The Lord has been taken ill and will be bedridden for some time. He has Corobus Fever."

The Father continued to keep his inquiries short. Dr. Addison did not know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. "And of my Daughter?"

"She has been arrested as instructed and is residing in the 9th Street Precinct. She will be released to our custody soon and then will be taken to the safe house."

Somehow Dr. Addison knew that the Father was smiling. "Even with your occasional incompetence the plan is coming to fruition. General Zero is in Central City and will be getting my Daughter soon. Once he does, he and the Lieutenant Lundgren will escort her and the princess back to here."

There was a lull in the conversation. The Father broke it by asking, "And what of the Tin Man?"

"He has been arrested and is residing in the 9th Street Precinct. It is my understanding that he was involved in an altercation with another inmate earlier today. That will be added to his other list of charges. Other charges can be added to either Jill or the Tin Man as the need arises in order to ensure that they stay where they are." Dr. Addison paused, waiting for a response from the Father.

"As always, General Zero has made plans in order to ensure that the Tin Man's son does not interfere. This is an item of detail that you missed Xavier."

Without thinking, Dr. Addison sunk to his knees on the floor. It was as though the Father was in the room with him.

"I am sorry Father and I beg of your forgiveness," he said softly.

The Father briskly replied, "As always, it is granted. Not all are granted with the gift of foresight Xavier." Somehow the Father knew that Dr. Addison was on his knees. "Rise Xavier. Take care of our precious Hymnshra and ensure that no harm befalls her."


	31. Chapter 31, Does the Devil Have a Soul?

Chapter 31, Does The Devil Have A Soul? (or Vengeance, Part 1)

Jeb walked the streets of Central City with a heavy heart. The symbols that he had seen in the tavern and sketched for DG and Glitch were not in the history books that they took from Dr. Addison's office. _We didn't take them, we stole them._ He shook his head. He was supposed to help uphold the law, not break it.

She invited him to supper but he declined. He told her that he wanted to see his father, try to visit Jill again, and then head to Samantha's. They agreed that he would be back in the morning. They were going to go back to the Royal Academy.

He climbed the steps leading to the 9th Street Precinct. Unfortunately it was an all too familiar walk by now. Get patted down, go past the reception desk, go through some twisty hallways, and get patted down again, and arrive at the prison wing.

Through the bars, a very bored guard on duty looked up from his newspaper and asked him, "Can I help you?"

"I'm here to see Wyatt Cain," he replied.

The guard put aside his newspaper and looked at the clock on the wall. "Visiting hours is nearly over," he said as he pulled a clipboard off the near wall. He pulled off the pencil that was attached with a string and used it to help keep his place as he read over the names on the list.

"Sorry. He's not allowed any visitors," the guard said. And then he put down his clipboard and grabbed his newspaper again.

Jeb put his hands on the small shelf that jutted out from the barred window. In a frustrated voice he demanded, "What do you mean that he's not allowed to have any visitors?"

The guard, with the same bored expression answered, "'Cause he's in solitary. Get in to a fight around here and its five days in the box."

Jeb sighed with dismay. His concern that his father's reputation would precede him and that he might get in to some sort of trouble because of it came true.

"What about Jill Wilkins?"

The guard rolled his eyes. "You need to find some different friends boy," he told him as he reached for his clipboard again. "She's not allowed any visitors either."

Jeb frowned at him, ignoring his chides. "Is a reason listed there?"

"No." The guard was ready to put down his clipboard but then stopped in mid-motion. "Any other friends you want to check on before I put this away again?"

Jeb glared at him. "No, I'm done."

The guard grunted in acknowledgment, put the clipboard away, and returned to his newspaper.

He stormed off. He was going to find Costello.

* * *

Jeb reached Sergeant Costello's office. He did not bother to knock on the door, he threw it open.

Costello looked up from his paperwork.

"Why is my Father in solitary?!" Jeb demanded of him.

Costello looked at him. His eyes did not have the same raw intensity as his father's, but the passion was there nonetheless.

He answered in his deep voice, "He got in a fight with another prisoner. It doesn't matter who started it. Rules are rules."

"Over what?" Jeb demanded of him again.

Costello stared back at him. "Do you _really_ have to ask that question Jeb? Once they found out your father, an old Tin Man was in there, it was just a matter of time."

Jeb angrily walked over to the window. He no longer wanted to look at his father's friend. "I still can't see Jill either. What's the answer for that one?"

With the squeak of Costello's chair, Jeb realized that he had gotten up. Costello stood beside him, looking out the window over Central City. "Jeb, you need to understand that I'm trying the best that I can, but I need to work within the confines of the law. You all of people should understand that. You work for the Deputy Provost Marshall."

Jeb crossed his arms and replied, "It still doesn't explain why Jill's been cut off from the world. The law's the law but it isn't draconian."

For a moment Costello did not answer. Then he said quietly, "Petey Staggart, Jill's public defender Kinan Tiber, Judge Marcus Saxton, and a whole host of other tin men and military police are dirty. There's no proof other than my observations and a few others though. We're having trouble getting solid evidence." He turned and walked over to his desk. Jeb turned to watch him as he heard the creak of a drawer opening.

Costello reached in to the drawer and pulled out a sheet of paper. "Here," he said as he handed it to Jeb. "It's a list of suspects. It might give you something to go on."

Jeb took the paper and read it in the fading light. Some names he recognized and others were strangers. As he folded up the paper and put it in an inside pocket he said, "Damn it Costello, why didn't you say something earlier?"

Costello ran his hand through his hair and then looked at him, "None of us expected it be this freaking big that's why."

Jeb angrily and sarcastically answered him, "Really? Just how big were you waiting for it to get?" Without waiting for Costello to answer he said decisively, "I'll get you your evidence."

* * *

The twin suns had set by the time that Jeb reached Samantha's house. The street lights had just started to warm up and cast their soft glow up and down the street. The street was quiet since most people were now at home for the day and were sitting down for supper.

As he approached the house the familiar glow of the lights in the windows greeted him. He rang the door bell and he could hear the traditional chimes from within.

No one came to the door.

He rang the door bell again and waited anxiously. He turned around in the street and saw no one. His hand drifted down to his side. Then the door opened.

Samantha stood in the doorway with tears in her eyes.

"Sam, what's wrong?"

She opened the door further, reached for his hand, and led him in to the foyer.

She took a tissue and dotted the tears from her eyes. Her voice trembled as she spoke. "Go ahead and hang up your coat Jeb, then come with me in to the sitting room."

Jeb's eyes shifted to the black cat that had walked out from the kitchen. It purred as it weaved in and out of Samantha's legs. He innocently asked, "When did you get the cat?"

She kicked it out from underneath her and it jumped high in to the air and landed in between her and Jeb. It arched its back and hissed at her. Its green eyes glared with hatred.

"What the hell Sam?" Jeb asked as the cat darted in between his legs and hid behind him. He nearly stepped on it in surprise. He looked back up at her, "What's going on?" He was filled with anxiety and he had a bad feeling in his gut.

Samantha's eyes started to mist again and she dotted them again with her tissue. "Please Jeb, please just come in to the sitting room," she begged of him.

Samantha walked in first and headed towards one of the large formal chairs. Jeb stood a few steps in the archway and found Mr. and Mrs. Poulton sitting on the settee. All seemed normal to Jeb except that the lights were dimmed and that they were holding hands. But their hands were not in a loving embrace; they were clenched tightly together.

He heard the draw of metal on metal too late.

With one long swipe Kogarashi deftly sliced in to the back of his right knee and through his hamstring. He yelled in pain as his leg gave way and he collapsed to the floor of his hands and knees.

Samantha cried out "JEB!" and started to rise from her chair. But she sat back down as the dim figure in the corner motioned with his gun.

Jeb rolled on to his back and reached for his gun. As he held it outstretched, ready to fire on the figure standing in the archway he pushed himself further in to the sitting room with his good leg.

POP!

Jeb yelled and rolled on to his side in pain. He dropped his gun and he grasped his hand that had held it. The bullet had gone through it and hit the far wall.

The figure emerged from the corner and picked up Jeb's gun.

Jeb rolled over to where Samantha was sitting and with a heavy groan pushed himself up to a sitting position. By now both Samantha and Mrs. Poulton were openly crying. Mr. Poulton, with an expression of hatred on his face, sat still. He slowly clenched his fists together. His wife had released his hand when the tears started to run down her face.

As Jeb's eyes grew adjusted to the light he recognized the figure standing before him.

His voice was almost inaudible. "Zero."

Zero returned his hand gun to his holster. Then he took Jeb's gun, emptied the bullets from the chamber on to the hard wood floor, and then dropped the gun. It landed with a heavy thud.

Then he pulled his hand gun back out of his holster and held it up for Jeb to see. "Do you recognize this type of gun Jeb?"

Jeb stared at it for a moment. Then he responded with almost a whisper, "No." The pain throbbed from his knee and all the way through his leg. His right hand burned all the way to his shoulder. He felt weak but he held on, his adrenaline being fueled by seeing Zero alive and standing before him.

Zero pointed to the end of the gun. "This little device is called a silencer. It works rather well wouldn't you agree? Not even the neighborhood dogs started to bark when I fired it."

Out of the corner of this eye Jeb saw the woman in the archway adjust her stance. After seeing her long twin swords, he understood that it was she who had sliced open his leg. Her green eyes glowed in the dim light.

He motioned with his head, "Is that the cat?"

Zero grinned. "Yeah, that's the fluffy purring kitty Blackie," he cruelly answered.

Jeb shifted slightly and found his head resting against Samantha's knee. Without seeing, he knew that she was sitting at attention. With authority he said, "You have me. Let them go."

Zero laughed. "It doesn't work that way."

Then he pointed the gun at Mr. Poulton's head and pulled the trigger.

POP!

Mrs. Poulton screamed in horror as her husband's head snapped back and his blood splattered on her. She started to wail controllably. She grabbed a hold of his head and pulled it towards her, "Richard!" she screamed. "RICHARD!" She held his head and stared in to his blank eyes; as though by her will alone it could bring him back to life.

"Papa!" screamed Samantha. She jumped out of her chair and tripped over Jeb, causing her to stumble on to the floor. She crawled over to her parents and hugged her dead father's leg. She screamed out "NO! NO! NO!" and then she began to wail as well.

"You fucking bastard! I TOLD YOU TO LEAVE THEM ALONE!" Jeb yelled at him. His face furled in anger and he met Zero's stare with fury. He struggled to stand and Zero watched him with amusement. He placed his left hand on the edge of the seat and pushed himself up. He was nearly in the chair when

POP! POP!

Samantha's head snapped around to look in Jeb's direction and she screamed again. She saw Jeb's body slump and roll on to the floor.

Jeb's breath came in ragged tired gasps. His stomach churned as he realized that Zero was toying with him, his love, and her family. He would continue until they were all dead and there was nothing that he could do about it.

"Samantha. That's your name isn't it?" Zero said to her. She was still bawling.

He angrily marched over to her, grabbed her hair and jerked her head back. He repeated his question, "I SAID!" He paused then added, "ISN'T YOUR NAME SAMANTHA?"

Samantha could only mumble her positive response to his question.

He released her. He said coldly, "Relax, I only shot him in the shoulder and his other leg."

It was at that inopportune moment that Mrs. Poulton's material instinct kicked in. "Leave my daughter alone!" she hollered. She lunged for Zero.

Jeb yelled out "NO!"

But it was too late.

POP!

Samantha screamed and crawled over to her mother laying prone on the floor. The blood oozed from the bullet wound in her forehead. She began to wail. She looked over to Jeb and saw that he was still slumped on the floor.

She wiped her nose with her hand and looked up at Zero. He was smiling. She gave him a fierce look and in a trembling voice demanded, "WHY?! WHY US?! WE DON'T EVEN KNOW WHO YOU ARE!!"

Zero grinned. "Oh, but your lover knows, don't you Jeb?" He walked over to Jeb and pulled him roughly in to a sitting position. Jeb gave out a loud groan but his eyes still burned with hatred.

He knelt down in front of Jeb. "You were wrong to listen to your father. You should've killed me instead of locking me in that fucking suit."

He stood back up and walked over to Samantha. He grabbed her hair and made her look at him. She screamed from the pain and then started to cry. "I vowed that his father would feel…. and carry…. the same pain that I have for annuals and annuals. He turned around to look at Jeb. "His father never told you what happened at the academy, did he?"

Jeb said nothing but continued to glare at him in defiance. Beads of sweat started to form near his hairline and trickle down his face.

Zero left Samantha go and then popped out the clip of his gun. He retrieved another clip from his belt and inserted it in to the gun.

"He killed my sister."

The only sounds that filled the room were Samantha's sobbing and Jeb's ragged breathing.

"No, that's not quite right. _They_ killed my sister. Your father led the chase and the group of men that eventually killed my sister." He said quietly as he looked at his gun.

He kicked a stray bullet from Jeb's gun and then walked back over to him and knelt down on one knee.

"My sister was a normal human. Every bit as normal as me and we were close, so very close. Did you know that we were twins?"

He stood back up and walked over to the window. He pulled back the curtain slightly to check outside. There was no one. He turned back around and leaned against the settee with his arms folded across his chest. He relaxed ever so slightly. He knew that Jeb was not going anywhere and Ko still stood steadfast in the archway.

"I still remember the day that it happened. We were in the lake country, vacationing at the summer house. We didn't know it but a loup-garou was running around. We were arrogant and didn't mix in with the locals. If we did then maybe we would've known and even may have joined in the hunt. Edalene was alone in the garden when she was attacked." He stopped and looked over at Samantha. The sobbing had stopped and she stared at him with tear stained eyes. For a brief moment he thought that he saw Edalene staring back at him. He shook off the feeling and continued.

"She shouldn't have lived and we should've killed her. But she wouldn't die and we were nothing more than cowards."

Jeb interjected, his words barely a whisper, "She turned didn't she?"

Zero said quietly, "Everyone loved her. I loved her."

There was another pause. Ko finally made a sound and shifted her stance. Jeb glanced over and saw that even she had relaxed. Her arms hung loose at her sides. He was in no shape to take advantage of it though. He was going in to shock and he knew it. He forced a few ragged deep breaths and tried to keep his focus on both Zero and Samantha.

"My family lived near the academy. Hell they even donated some of the ground for some of the buildings. Obviously I was expected to attend and rise rapidly through the ranks, which I did. That didn't preclude me from mixing in with some of the lower class. For someone like myself that liked his liquor, they made the best drinking buddies."

Samantha finally understood the connection. In a trembling soft voice she asked, "You were friends with Jeb's father weren't you?"

Zero looked over at her. His compassion disappeared and he sneered, "You picked a smart one Jeb."

Samantha grew angry and no longer caring whether she lived or died, stood up and marched over to the small piano that set along the far wall. She ripped off the light fine sheet protecting it from the dust. Zero just watched her as she walked back over to where Jeb was laying. He grinned as she struggled to tear it. As it finally gave way she knelt down and began to bandage Jeb's wounds.

"Stop it," he told her in a weak voice.

In a soft voice that still trembled with fright she retorted, "Shut up." She sniffled and tried to blink away the tears that were forming again.

"Sam, get away from me and sit back down," he weakly implored her again.

Zero had had enough. He walked back over and grabbed Samantha by the hair again. As she kicked and screamed he told her mockingly, "Yes, Samantha, do what he says and leave him alone." He shoved her over to the front of the settee. She started to cry again.

He held the gun and aimed it at her head. As he spoke to her, his voice rose in anger. "We protected Edalene the best that we could. If anyone asked we told them that she was at finishing school. Then one day one of the servants left the door unlocked. She turned and got loose. I led the search party. We chased her as fast as we could but it was too late. She was spotted by security guards working for the academy. All of the cadets were summoned to assist in the search and guess which group found her? Wyatt Cain leading Paul Costello, David Spencer and a few other nobodies. I screamed at them to stop but the shots still rang out."

He heard Jeb try to move but he paid him no attention. He knelt down in front of Samantha and took his free hand to force her head up to look at him in the eye. He said softly, "She didn't have to die. My family was rich; we could've shielded the world from her. When she didn't turn she was the same old Edalene we always knew and loved."

He turned to look back over at Jeb. "Do you know that she turned back and died in my arms as your father, Paul, and David looked on?"

In a broken voice Samantha said, "Forgive them."

He looked back at her. He shook his head. Samantha was sniffling. It was then that he realized that she did not say anything. His mind was playing tricks on him again.

Jeb tried one last time. "Zero, let her go," he said with as much strength as he could muster.

Zero stood up and pointed the gun at Samantha's head again. "Father killed Mother and then turned the gun on himself. They couldn't bear to live without their daughter. They were too selfish to think of the pain that I would bear though. My friends, my friends who were supposed to be so fucking close to me. They fucking killed her. They saw me die with her and did nothing."

Samantha looked at him and stared at his eyes. An expression of resignation transcended her face. She knew that she was going to die.

POP!

It was over.

Jeb screamed "NO!!" He was dying again and the same emotions that he felt when his father was locked in the tin suit came rushing back with a vengeance.

Zero walked over to Ko. "Give me one of those."

Her eyes narrowed. He demanded again, "I SAID TO GIVE ME ONE OF THOSE!"

She glared at him and said nothing. She stretched out her arm and handed him one of her twin swords.

He angrily grabbed it out of her hand and marched over to where Jeb laid.

Jeb looked up at him with glassy eyes. He was sweating profusely and his breathing was shallow. He whispered defiantly "This isn't over and it's not going to take away your pain."

Zero hesitated. Then he answered, "It's over Jeb. And I swear to the gods themselves that it will add to your father's."

And with that he ran the sword through Jeb's gut.

_Author's Note: Sincerely, thanks to all who continue to follow along..._


	32. Chapter 32, The Devil Denies His Soul

Chapter 32, The Devil Denies His Soul (or Vengeance Part 2)

Zero quietly shut the front door and stood on the stoop of the Poulton's house. Blackie, as he now called the cat, purred contentedly in his arms. He looked up and down the street and it was quiet. The neighbors were clueless to the events that had just unfolded inside the house. Through the glow of the street lamps he could see the start of a light flurry. It was just enough that it would be annoyed. He stroked Blackie's head and told her, "We have one more stop to make tonight."

As usual Costello came home late. He came in through the back door and tip-toed through the kitchen. He unbuckled his holster and quietly laid it on the table. Then he opened the refrigerator door and found a plate of leftovers. He took them and then placed them in the oven so that they would start to warm up as he got his shower. He walked back over to the table, grabbed his holster, and walked in to the living room as quietly as he could.

He stopped.

There in the dim light from the glow of the street lamps stood Zero with his arm outstretched and his gun pointed at Costello. In his low deep voice he said, "Zero."

"Long time no see _old friend_," sneered Zero. He then commanded, "Drop the holster."

Costello put his hands up and slowly knelt to the floor. He gently laid the holster down on to the floor and rose back up. "You're supposed to be dead."

Zero chuckled, "I've been hearing that a lot lately." His eyes shifted to the stair case and Costello's head turned to see what he was looking at. It was Kogarashi coming down the stair case. She stopped at the bottom.

Costello hissed, "What have you done to my family?"

Zero's chuckling turned to laughter. "Killed them of course. I won't go in to the same theatrics that I did for Jeb and his lover. You already know why I'm here."

Costello's cold expression turned to one of horror as Zero's words sunk in. Kogarashi walked over to the nearest chair and ran her twin swords over the arm of it in order to clean the blood off.

He screamed out "NO!" and he lunged for Zero. If it had been any other man he would have stood still and tried to talk his way out of the situation. But this was no ordinary man nor was it an ordinary situation. This was Zero, and even after all these years he still carried his hatred for him. In the heat of the chase they had killed his sister. It was an accident. If they knew they would have stopped. His penance was carrying the guilt and pain of the memory of Zero cradling his dying sister in his arms. Her words burned in his ears, "Tell Mother and Father that I loved them. And I will always love you Dale."

POP!

Zero's shot hit him in the chest but it only slowed him for a second. He reached Zero and hit him square in the chest. Both men tumbled backwards and crashed on to the floor. Costello was the larger of the two men and he sat up and started to pummel Zero. The wound in his chest was bleeding profusely. It was a mortal wound but his anger for Zero for killing his family, and killing Cain's family kept him going.

The silent swipe from Kogarashi's blade across his back made him roar in pain. A second swipe made him roar even louder.

Zero took advantage of the opportunity and was able to push Costello off of him. He rolled over and was on his hands and knees as Zero wobbly stood up. He took the back of his hand and wiped it across his mouth. He looked at it and saw blood.

"Get on your knees Paul," he angrily commanded him.

Costello pushed himself up and knelt in front of Zero. He was sweating and was on the verge of collapse. The wound in his chest continued to bleed and with Kogarashi's deep slices to his back, it would not be long.

He drew a ragged deep breath and said in the strongest voice he could manage, "This won't bring your sister back."

Kogarashi said, "It's not too late. Forgive them."

Zero looked at her. As she wiped the blood clean from her swords he realized that the voices were in his head again. He was long overdue for the pills that helped to silence the demons.

He looked back at Costello who was wavering ever so slightly. He briefly thought of just watching him; he would eventually bleed to death. But he did not have time.

"I'm not that fucking stupid Paul. I know that this won't bring her back. Pain breeds pain and I'm just adding to Cain's."

POP! POP! POP!

Zero pumped three more shots in rapid succession in to his chest. Costello wavered and then fell on to the floor with a heavy thud. With his remaining fading strength he rolled over on to his back so that he could see Zero. He whispered the words "Burn in hell" as he struggled to breathe. Then he fell silent.

Zero stared at him for a few minutes and then motioned for Kogarashi to follow him in to the kitchen. He told her, "We're going back to the safe house. We'll get Jill Wilkins in the morning."

* * *

DG and Glitch had long finished breakfast and were impatiently waiting in the private dining area for Jeb. He was well over an hour overdue. The servants watched them from the kitchen door. They were anxious to remove the breakfast dishes and replace them with the dinnerware for lunch.

Glitch lightly strummed his fingers on the table and held his head up with his hand. DG played with her coffee cup. She slowly swirled the cold remnants. Finally, a courier arrived and curtsied in front of DG and Glitch. DG instantly recognized her. It was Sam.

"Good morning Sam. I'm hoping that you're bringing some good news," DG told her.

Sam extended her a sealed envelope. "I don't know Princess Dorothy. But this is from the Provost Marshall himself and he told me to deliver it with great haste."

DG smiled at her and gave her a silver coin. "Thank you Princess Dorothy!" she squealed and ran out of the room.

Glitch asked, "What do you think it's about?"

"I don't know Glitch," she answered.

She deftly undid the seal and began to read the letter that was enclosed. Her hands started to tremble.

Glitch noticed the trembling and hesitantly asked, "What's wrong?"

"I think that something terrible has happened to Jeb. The Provost Marshall wants us to see him immediately," DG answered somberly.

* * *

Glitch knocked on the door to the Provost Marshall Collin's office. A voice from within said, "Come in."

He opened the door for DG and escorted her inside. They found the PM Collins and the DPM Vargo standing in front of the window, having a hushed conversation. It stopped when they heard the door open.

She said, "Provost Marshall? It's me and Ambrose."

They turned around and both looked haggard and worn.

The PM Collins walked behind his desk and said to DG and Glitch. "I see that you got my message." He motioned with his hand, "Please have a seat." As he wearily sat down his chair made a slight creak. It was the only sound in the room.

Glitch moved closer behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. She said quietly, "I prefer to stand. You wrote that Jeb was missing. What do you mean by that?"

DPM Vargo turned away from them and went back to looking out the window. The day was overcast and it had started to snow.

PM Collins began solemnly. "There is no easy way to say this Princess Dorothy. Samantha Poulton, Jeb's fiancée and her family were found murdered in their home by their housekeeper."

DG gasped and Glitch held her steady and his grip on her shoulders tightened.

"Parts of Jeb's blood stained uniform were found in the home. And since he has not yet reported this morning, we can only assume the worse at this point."

DG balled her hand in to a fist and brought it up to her mouth to stifle the scream of remorse and sadness she wanted to make. She started to sob and her knees felt weak. Glitch helped her over to one of the twin chairs in front of PM Collin's desk.

DPM Vargo turned back around. He looked at DG and at Glitch who was doing his best to console her with sympathetic eyes. He felt her pain and his hand clenched into a fist as he struggled to stay silent.

DG's thoughts raced as she continued to cry. _Oh god, was he and Samantha murdered because of what we were going after? After what Cain, Jill, and he stumbled on? Is it a warning? OH GOD DOES WYATT KNOW?_

Glitch handed her a handkerchief and she wiped the tears away. She re-composed herself and asked, "Does Cain know yet?"

"We have sent a senior officer to the precinct in order to deliver the message in person," he gently replied. "We have also sent out our special operatives to work with the Central City police," he added quietly. "Princess Dorothy," he started and then stopped. He was unsure whether to continue. "There was another murder in the city. Sergeant Costello of the 9th Street Precinct and his family was found early this morning."

DG drew in a sharp breath. _Jeb told me that it was Petey Staggart who was probably dirty. Did the Sergeant stumble upon it too and now he and his whole family have paid the price?_

"Princess Dorothy, we have informed your mother of the situation. Until the murderer or murderers are found, you will be escorted by additional guards at all times and you will not be permitted to leave the royal grounds."

His words were slow to sink in. It was Glitch who first realized their implications. "That means that we can't see Cain."

DG's head snapped to attention. "I need to…" She stopped and looked at Glitch. He was somber and his eyes had lost their characteristic spark. She started over. Cain was Glitch's friend too. "_We_ need to see Cain immediately."

PM Collins sighed. He somehow knew that this would happen. "I understand your concern for the elder Major Cain but as I stated you are not allowed to leave the royal grounds."

DG's sadness started to turn to anger. _Why does everyone seem not to give a fuck about him? Ooooo… you did your job alright, you sent a senior officer to tell him. _She retorted, "Understand? Cain is our friend and he needs us now more than ever. If you actually understood that, you would let us go!"

The Provost Marshall rose from his chair. He admired the younger Cain and respected his father. It cut him to the quick when he was first told the news. He sighed and regretted the position that he was put in. In the authoritative voice that he had hoped that he did not have to use, he said, "Princess, with all due respect, the decision is non-negotiable. Both you and Ambrose are confined to the royal grounds, with additional guards, until further notice."

DG glared at him. She rose from her chair and wiped the few remaining tears from her face. "You're a cold hearted bastard."

She marched towards the door and Glitch jumped up to follow her.

"Princess Dorothy."

She stopped and turned to look at him. It was the first time that DPM Vargo had spoken since they arrived.

Even speaking softly his voice carried across the room. "Do not extinguish your dim flame of hope."

She automatically mumbled, "I won't." It was already fading fast though.

"Swear to it on the memorial of your parents."

She was taken aback by his words. It even took PM Collins by surprise. No one outside of her immediate family and friends ever mentioned the memorial to her other set of parents. If they were referred to in passing, they were always called her nurturing units. She was going to ask him why. Why swear that on the memorial to Hank and Em? But she decided against it. She was in too much distress already.

She looked in the eyes and told him, "Vargo, I swear it on the memorial of my parents."

He nodded his head and then returned to looking out the window. The snow was falling heavily.

* * *

Cain sat on his cot with his head hanging down. He was alone again, confined to his box.

A few hours before he was told that his son's future in-laws were murdered. As he was told that Jeb was missing he lost his composure. He had grabbed the bars separating him and the senior officer and screamed out in rage. For once the guards showed compassion and did their best to peacefully calm him down. Who could blame his outburst? He was just told that his son was probably murdered and that they were looking for his body.

He blamed himself.

Maybe Costello had been right all along. He just should have taken Jill to the nearest precinct, dropped her off, and told her to have a nice life.

As if it was not enough bad news for one day he was told that Costello and his family were brutally murdered too.

Costello was already poking around. Even if he had just dropped off Jill, was Costello's day already coming?

He ran his hand through his hair and then squinted his eyes shut. Even in solitary he did his best to keep his composure.

"If you don't have heart you have nothing."

That was what he told Jeb once upon a time so long ago.

The tears finally came.


	33. Chapter 33, No Knights In Shining Armor

Chapter 33, No Knights In Shining Armor

_Author's Note: Brace yourselves for an erratic posting schedule. Due to recent rainy days and full lunches (Darn it all I'm going to take my full one hour lunch and not answer the phone "smirk") I've had more time to write. So, if I get a chapter done and I'm happy, then I'm going to let it fly. So you might see a chapter a day, every other day or whenever. As always, thank you for following along, either by just reading, by just dropping a quick note, or by adding me to your story alerts. _

He heard voices. It was hard to make out what they were saying.

"The surgeon and the healer are exhausted. It is just as well. Nothing more can be done until he regains some of his strength." _I don't know her._

"Make sure that they rest well." _I think I know that voice._

"I will. The gods must have a purpose for him."

He could not make out the rest. He struggled to open his eyes. He could only manage to get them half way open and nothing came in to focus. He thought he saw two shadowy figures in the dim light. They must be the ones talking. _Where am I?_

His eyes closed and the blackness engulfed him once more.

* * *

When the guard had his back turned a small hand reached around the corner of the cell. It waved a piece of newspaper. Then a voice hissed loudly, "Hey Mouse! Take this!"

Jill quickly rose and got off of her bed. In two long strides she was at the corner of her cell and as she knelt down she grabbed the piece of newspaper. Then the voice hissed again, "Pass it on when you're done!"

Mouse was the new name bestowed upon her in less than a day's time. Or was it two day's time? She was having trouble remembering and that was very, very bad. She sat back down on her bed and unfolded the crinkled newspaper article the best that she could. It was from the front page.

DOUBLE MURDERS ROCK THE CITY

She read down through the article and stopped in shock when she read the name of Sergeant Paul Costello. She swallowed hard and continued. When she came to the Poultons', and then read Jeb's name she squeaked and brought her fist to her mouth to stifle the cry.

"Hey Mouse! You done yet?!" It was the woman's voice from the cell next to her. "Hurry it up! I hear that the old Tin Man's son was murdered!"

"Shut up down there!" cried out the guard from the end of the hallway. He had been dealing with the talk of the murders all morning and he was starting to lose his temper.

Jill slowly rose from her bed and knelt down at the corner of her cell. She carefully folded the article and pushed it through the bars. A grimy hand reached out and grabbed it. There was no word of thanks nor did she expect it.

She walked back over to her bed and flopped down on it. The tears welled up in her eyes and she let them fall on to the stiff pillow.

She wondered if Cain knew that his son was murdered. Her gut told her that he did. If even the women were able to get their hands on the newspaper article then certainly the men did too. Did the precinct do the right thing and send someone in person to tell him? She was sure that they would have if Costello had still been alive.

She got off the bed and reached over for some toilet paper to use as a tissue.

_It's all my fault. The day that I found out that I had to register, I just should have run away from Wyatt. I briefly thought about it. Everything else might have still happened but at least Jeb might still be alive_. _Hell, I should've never taken that side path. That's really what started this whole f'ing thing._

Across from her cell, a raven haired woman watched her. She stood up and walked over to the cell bars. "You alright Mouse? I don't like to see you upset." she loudly whispered.

The guard's footsteps echoed down the hallway. He banged his baton against each cell bar as he went past it. "I said to shut up down here!"

Jill turned and looked at her. She was one of the prostitutes and she called herself Cherise. "Yeah, I'm okay," she mouthed back to her.

For whatever reason Jill got the impression that Cherise took a shining to her. _Great, I've got a nickname and another inmate following me around. I can't wait until we have to take a group shower._

She flopped back on to the bed and let her thoughts drift back to Craig. She missed him at that moment. Was he watching over her now? What would he be saying about all this? She sniffled. He was always the more upstanding citizen. He would probably be appalled. Then her thoughts drifted to Cain. In the worst way she wanted to see him too. He was the first one that she actually liked to hang around since Craig's death. _Who are you kidding Jill? You can't build a relationship on what you just caused. You know Wyatt I just caused your son's death, but I like you, do you like me? _She continued to yell at herself. _The next time you see him, you tell him how sorry you are for coming in to his life and then just walk away. You've caused him, and his friends, enough grief. Yep, you just turn, walk away, and try to start a new life in this world._

The tears started to flow again.

* * *

She must have fallen asleep since she woke up with a start when the guard rattled her cell bars with his baton. "Wake up sleeping beauty," he gruffly said.

She rose up, took off her glasses, and rubbed the side of her nose. She fell asleep with them on and the nose piece had dug in to the side of her nose. It hurt. Then she put them back on so that she could see who was outside her cell.

Two guards walked in to her cell and the one told her, "You're going to be released." The other one held out a pair of handcuffs and jingled them. _You are such a slime ball_.

But then the guard's words sunk in. _I'm going to be released!_ Her heart rose up in joy.

As the slime-guard, as she now thought of him, snapped the handcuffs on her, what joy she had turned to sorrow. She asked the other guard, "What about Wyatt Cain? Is he going to be released?"

They exited the cell and the bars slammed shut behind her. The guard finally replied to her question with a very firm "No."

She was led through twisty hallways to a small whitewashed room. There were no windows and a small hanging overhead electric light bulb provided the only illumination. A simple wooden table and a few chairs that had all seen better days were the only furniture. The slime-guard took off her handcuffs and motioned for her to sit down. The other guard tossed her a cloth bag. It landed in front of her with a soft thump. She looked in it and found a set of clothes. The guard told her, "Change in to 'em. Someone will get you soon." Then they both left and closed the door behind them with a metallic clang.

The room was cold and Jill shivered. She quickly changed since she did not know how "soon" was soon. After she stuffed her prison uniform in to the cloth bag she sat back down. But sitting there alone made her feel uneasy and nervous. She finally got up and started to pace the room.

After what seemed like an eternity the door opened with a metallic clang and the slime-guard jingled the handcuffs once more. Jill glared at him and he put them away. He sneered, "Your paperwork's done. Come with me." Then he handed her an outside jacket to put on.

He led her down the hallway and they went through a double set of wooden doors that led to the outside. Jill looked around as the snow continued to fall. She realized that she was led to a fenced in area behind the precinct. It resembled the back lot of any large office building. Garbage dumpsters, loading docks, and miscellaneous equipment littered the area. A short distance away a black non-descript car was waiting for her.

Even from afar she could recognize the fiery red hair from the figure that was holding the back car door open. It was Petey Staggart.

The slime-guard led her to the car, nodded to Petey and then turned to go back inside the precinct.

Jill felt the anger rise within her. Her eyes narrowed in hatred, "You mother-fucking bastard." An annoying thought then cut in to her mind. _Craig always hated it when I just said damn, let alone if I dropped the f-bomb. Oh fucking well._ She told her brain to shut up once more and concentrate on what was going on in the here and now.

He shrugged his shoulders and answered nonchalantly, "I've been called worse." Then with his other hand that held his gun, he motioned for her to get in to the car.

Jill got in and Petey got in after her. He slammed the door shut. Jill could see that there were two men in the front seat. The driver turned around and she did a double-take. Blue eyes stared at back her from underneath a beat up hat. For the briefest of moments she thought that all of this was a sick joke and that it was indeed Cain. Then the man sneered at her. To her dismay she realized that it was not Cain. He told Petey, "As soon as we get to the safe house we're leaving for Oradour."

He then shifted back around in his seat and started the car. It slowly turned around in the lot; its wheels slipping in the snow. Petey shifted in his seat so that he could be partially facing Jill. He held his gun low in front of him and pointed it at her. "No heroics," was all that he said.

Jill nodded and then began to stare out the window. The car slowed back down and stopped at the security gate. A guard rushed out to open it up and then other security guard waved them on through. She stared at the citizens going about their daily business. Little did they know that right under their noses was a kidnapping in-progress.

They stopped at an intersection and were waiting for the traffic to pass. The snow fell heavier and the small windshield wipers could not keep up with it. Lundgren quickly exited the car and began to wipe some of the extra snow off of the windshield. Petey asked, "Hey Zero, do you really think that it's a good idea to start out in this shit?"

Zero watched Lundgren clean off his side of the windshield. By then the traffic cleared and horns started to honk in impatience. Lundgren rushed back to the passenger side of the car and jumped in.

The wheels of the car spun once more but then they got going. "We have a timetable to keep Petey." As they passed through an intersection a car waiting at the corner started to pull out. Zero laid on the horn and flipped the driver off. Annoyed at the interruption he added, "The snow will cover our tracks. If it gets too bad, we'll go as far as the ranch and stay there overnight."

They started to enter the downtown district when Jill impulsively decided that she was going to try escape. Was it a desperate move? Hell yeah. But she had no one to rescue her. She was on her own again._ What's the worse thing that could happen to me? Okay, I could get shot. And besides pissing my pants it would probably hurt like hell. But Petey wouldn't dare kill me. They want me for some reason and I'm no use to them dead. _

She leaned her head against the window and did her best to look forlorn and disinterested. By that point Petey had relaxed his grip on his gun and was only taking parting glances at her.

She saw another intersection coming up and she casually moved her left arm. She did not know if Petey took note of the action or not.

The car stopped.

She waited. She wanted to make sure that the driver and his companion were occupied with trying to get the car moving.

It was their turn to move thru the intersection and the wheels started to spin once more.

Jill grabbed a hold of the door handle and it gave way. If the door could be locked, someone forgot to do it. She leaped out of the car and slammed the door shut. She heard a muffled "What the hell?!" She did not stick around to hear the rest.

She ran as fast as she could down the street. The snow kept most people indoors so the crowds were sparse. She headed towards the nearest group. Some people stared at her as she ran by but most were too busy to notice. It was evident that they had other things on their mind.

Then she hit an icy patch on the sidewalk and her legs flew out from underneath her. _Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow!_

She found herself on her side, crumbled up, and staring at the bottom of a light post. She rolled in to a sitting position. A stranger stood over top of her and offered his hand. "You okay miss?," he asked somewhat concerned. She grabbed his hand and he pulled her up. _Ow!_ She grimaced as she put some weight on to her ankle. _Oh god damn it not now!_ She put on her best face and told the stranger, "I'll be okay. Thanks for helping me up!" She turned and limped away as quickly as she could. She wanted to turn around to see how close either Petey or anyone else was but she did not dare unless she wanted to bring even more attention to herself.

She quickly looked around and found that the store next to her looked like a general department store. She ducked inside and tried to make herself look as presentable as she could.

She had guessed right. She slowly made her way to the side where the women's clothing was located. A salesperson came up to her and asked in a most pleasant voice, "Is there anything that I can help you find today?"

She answered as politely and as calmly as she could, "I'm just browsing, but thank you." She started to sweat.

Thankfully the salesperson left her alone. She weaved in and out of the various racks, trying to make her way to the back of the store. If she could sneak in to the warehouse section and leave the building that way she might have a chance.

As she neared the back of the store she took one last parting glance and found Petey standing at the entrance. She ducked behind a rack of hardware. _Shit! _She took a step backwards and bumped in to a body. She gasped out of surprised and spun around. It was just another salesperson. "I'm so sorry to have scared you miss. Is there anything I can help you with?" _Yeah, get me out of here you twit!_

"No, no there isn't, but thank you anyway." She gave him a soft smile and motioned with her head for him to go away. Thankfully he left her alone.

She took another peek towards the entrance of the store. Petey was gone. _Shit!_

She looked around and alongside the far wall she found the "Employees Only" door. Casually she walked over to it, trying her hardest to mask her limp. She took one last look around and saw no salespeople. She opened the door and walked in. She had guessed right again. It was one of the entrances to the warehouse section of the store.

She limped down the short hallway turned the corner. She bumped in to another body and yelped out in surprise. Their standing before her was Zero. He had no problems carrying his gun out in the open and it was pointed at her. She looked in to his cold eyes and then her eyes drifted to the gun. _Where did he get a fucking silencer? Oh yeah, duh… my world._

"I'm really not in the mood for this Jill," he said sternly. He roughly grabbed her arm and started to drag her down the hallway. He did not care that she was limping and had trouble keeping up with him.

They made their way outside and found the car waiting for them in the back alley behind the store. Petey came running and had to stop to catch his breath before he could say anything. Lundgren got of the driver's seat and stood there, his hands propped up on top of the door.

Zero shoved Jill in his direction and she stumbled and fell in to the side of the car. Somewhere between annoyance and anger he said, "Petey, put a fucking pair of cuffs on her… And Lundgren, sit back there with him since he can't handle her on his own."


	34. Chapter 34, Rasputin

Chapter 34, Rasputin

The Queen was in her chamber, sitting in a chair near the window. Her breakfast was untouched and she instead seemed more interested in watching the snow fall. When DG and Glitch entered the room she motioned for the chambermaids, Meredith and Kyra to leave.

After they left, DG asked, "Have you heard anything more about Jeb's and Samantha's death?" She rubbed her arms feverishly. Her mother's room was unusually cold.

The Queen did not look at her. She was covered in a royal blue wool blanket and her hands remained folded in her lap, on top of the blanket.

Glitch felt cold too and he walked over to the fireplace. With annoyance he asked, "Why didn't either Meredith or Kyra put some wood on the fire?" He stoked the coals and proceeded to stack some kindling on top of them. Even though he was occupied with trying to get the fire going, he heard DG walk across the room and ask, "Mother?"

She looked out the window and tried to see what the Queen was staring at. The city was quiet and a few guards patrolled the courtyard below. There was nothing unusual that she could tell.

DG noted how worn her mother looked. She was pale and it was evident that she had not slept well, if at all, during the night. Deep circles had formed under her eyes and her hair was undone. It had not yet been brushed, let alone pulled back in her characteristic swept-back bun. Her lavender eyes, those beautiful eyes that usually sparkled, were dull. Unbeknownst to DG, in her one hand she rubbed a picture disk between her fingers.

"Perhaps you should ask Major Cain about their deaths," she said quietly.

DG was puzzled. "What do you mean by that?"

The Queen continued to stare out the window. "I have questioned Major Cain's judgment since the day that he murdered your parents."

DG interrupted her and stated quietly, "He had no choice."

The Queen ignored her. "I again questioned his judgment with his handling of Jill. He should have taken her directly to the precinct upon arrival in the city. Then she should have been taken in to military custody."

DG crossed her arms and sighed. "You know how Cain is. He helps anyone who shows up on his door step. He was trying to help both us and Jill find out who wanted her so bad." She paused and with exasperation added, "We've been through this before."

They heard a few coughs. Both of them looked over to see Glitch waving smoke out of his face. He picked up a pair of bellows and blew more air on to the coals. In an instant the fire took back off and began to crackle. He coughed again and waved the fleeting smoke away from him. He looked embarrassed and said, "Sorry about that. The fire should be okay now."

The Queen looked uncharacteristically annoyed with him. She turned back to DG and said sternly, "You would be wise to question his loyalty daughter." DG was stunned. _Question my loyalty to Cain? What kind of statement is that?!_

The Queen's voice grew tired. "You were not told why Cain was summoned back from the territories early."

DG thought back. Her mother was right. She was dealing so much with her own feelings for him that she never bothered to question why he had returned. It had been kept super quiet anyway. Not even the servants were whispering about it. "Okay…. So why was he brought back early?"

"He was on trial for treason."

Glitch, who had been watching the young fire, exclaimed with his jaw dropping to the floor, "Treason?!"

Both looked back over at him. He looked embarrassed again over his outburst. "Sorry." He put one last small log on to the fire and walked over to where they were near the window. DG had already sat in the chair opposite from her, across from her small table. He looked around for another chair, and finding none, leaned against the wall. The Queen sighed in displeasure at his act. The disapproval was evident in her voice. "Ambrose, a member of the royal court does not lean. You of all should understand that. Stand behind DG if you are to remain in this chamber."

Glitch was stunned. He looked in her eyes and in his most formal tone replied, "I'm sorry your highness," and then stood back up to take his place behind DG. He made sure to stand straight and held his hands loosely together in front of him. He cursed his momentary lapse in protocol.

"Mother, what's wrong?" DG asked quietly. _She's never been like that to Glitch. And what's with the Ambrose crap all of a sudden?_

The Queen ignored DG's question and continued with her story. "There were attacks from remnants of the Longcoats in the area. Major Cain was in charge of a protection detail for a nearby fort and small village. The fort was attacked and consequently both it and the small village were destroyed. Casualties were heavy. The Longcoats escaped and a regiment in another neighboring area had to be brought in to restore order. It was later reported by other officers that the attacks initially came from inside the fort and that they were by Major Cain's hand."

"There's no way that Cain caused that. You know better than to believe them Mother." She was amazed that her Mother gave those reports serious consideration. She found her herself clenching her hand in to a fist out of frustration and she forced herself to take a deep breath.

The Queen shifted in her chair. She had been annoyed before and now appeared to be getting irritated. "It is not your place to tell me what I should, or should not believe in, daughter."

DG was exasperated. Her mother was being uncharacteristically cold to her and to Glitch.

"The tribunal found him innocent of all charges." She paused and looked out the window again. Some of the staff shoveled a small pathway across the courtyard but it was quickly filling with snow again. "However, the tribunal was in deliberation for days. It was difficult for them to make a verdict."

"They made the right decision. Those officers,… somehow they got mixed up in the heat of the attack." DG still could not believe that Cain had been put on trial and that she never knew about it the whole entire time. Of course it wasn't like he was the type of person who would go running up to her and say "Hey guess what they think I did this time!"

The Queen unfolded her hands and placed the picture disk on the table.

DG recognized what it was. It looked like the same ones that Tutor had dropped for the mobats.

"A special envoy from the Provost Marshall's office came to see me. His name was Lieutenant Colonial Mitchell. He brought me that disk to review. It is a copy of the one that was found at the Poulton's."

"Glitch and I saw the Provost Marshall this morning and he never said anything about finding a picture disk." DG picked it up and held it up to the light.

"It was not his place to do so Dorothy," she replied sternly.

DG bit her lip in order to try to retain her composure. _Dorothy? First daughter, and now Dorothy. _She asked, "So, what's on the great and mysterious picture disk?" It came out a little more sarcastic than she had intended.

The Queen brow furled in anger and she hissed, "You will not be so glib with me daughter once I tell you what is on it!" The words dripped with hidden fury.

DG was stunned once more. She had seen her mother look angry at her before but this was on a whole new level.

The deep circles remained on her mother's face but the rush of anger had erased all evidence of her exhaustion. "It shows evidence of Major Cain setting the explosives used in the terrorist attack."

DG pushed her chair back so hard from the table it fell over. Glitch had to jump out of the way to avoid being hit. She jumped up and began talking with her hands. She lost all patience with her mother. _Jesus Christ! What is it with these people who keep saying that Cain is plotting against the O.Z. _"How can that be?! You _know_ that Cain would never, ever, do such a thing!"

Then she stopped. _Oh…my…god! It show's Cain setting the explosives. Demilo tried to bribe him with a picture disk that showed him setting off the explosives!_

The Queen remained steadfast. "I have already told you that he was on trial for treason. While he may have been found innocent, this is further proof that he is not as loyal to the royal line as he may have led you to believe."

DG paced back and forth. She implored her mother, "It can't be! It has to be some sort of trick! Mother, in your heart, you know he couldn't do such a thing! Demilo tried to blackmail him with a similar picture disk in the Wolfsangel Tavern!"

The Queen's eyes narrowed and she glared at her daughter. She asked slowly, "What…do you mean… that this... _Demilo…_ tried to bribe him with a similar picture disk in the Wolfsangel Tavern?"

DG swallowed hard and took a deep breath. "Before he and Jill were arrested, he told me and Glitch that they had been in the Wolfsangel Tavern the night before. Jeb was there too. Demilo wanted Cain to hand Jill over to him. He told Cain that he had a picture disk of him setting explosives and that if Cain didn't turn her over, then he would turn the disk loose." She paused to catch her breath and then she went on, "Glitch and I both met Demilo right before the witch was defeated. He was some sort of sleazy traveling entertainer. Cain knew him from before the witch and Demilo recognized him as an ex-Tin Man. Cain told us that Demilo had lost his business and that's why he went to work as a henchman."

"Is that really what Major Cain told you?" She was seething at the apparent ignorance of her youngest daughter. "A body was found outside of the Wolfsangel Tavern. He had been murdered. He was identified as Special Operative Amaury Demille." She stopped in order to let her words sink in. "And now you tell me that Major Wyatt Cain, Miss Jill Wilkins, and Major Jeb Cain were all in that tavern that evening?"

By then Glitch had set the chair back up. The Queen ignored him and went on, "The Lieutenant Colonial told me that Amaury Demille was a special operative working undercover. He was attempting to infiltrate a group believed to have intentions of overthrowing this government. It was believed that he had evidence of various plots before he was murdered. And now, you are telling me that it was Major Cain who told you that it was a person named _Demilo_ trying to bribe _him_?"

DG adamantly shook her head. "Cain clearly said that it was Demilo. He didn't say that it was some Demille."

The Queen raised her head and said in a confident but quiet voice, "The Lieutenant Colonial assured me that the special operative was one of theirs. It is now believed that either Major Wyatt Cain and or Major Jeb Cain killed Demille because he began to acquire knowledge of the insurgency."

"NO!" DG began to pace the room and threw up her hands in despair. "WHAT YOU'VE BEEN TOLD ISN'T TRUE!"

The Queen stood up and let her blanket fall on to the floor.

DG continued her tirade. "Cain said that it was Antoine Demilo. It wasn't some special operative working for the PM. Demilo,.. Antoine Demilo… was the one working for the insurgency and he was trying to bribe him. Don't you realize that there are dirty cops in the 9th Street Precinct? Jeb told me that a cop by the name of Petey Staggart was working for the other side. Why else do you think that Cain and Jill were arrested? Petey set it up so that neither Cain nor us could protect her. Why else do you think that Jeb and Sergeant Costello were murdered? They got too close!"

She was done. She shook out of exhaustion, and frustration, and anger at her mother.

The Queen said nothing for a few minutes. The air was thick with tension and the only sound was the crackling of the fire.

"Mother, why don't you believe me?" DG quietly asked.

The Queen stared at her so intently that it was starting to make her feel uncomfortable. "There is also another matter to discuss. It concerns your behavior with various members of the House of Lords."

_This is getting more screwed up by the minute_. She rubbed her forehead and then wiped her eyes with her hands. She did not want to cry in front of her mother, no matter how bad she hurt her. With a mixture of frustration and annoyance she said "The only time I talk to those people is when we're at an official state function."

Her mother reached in to her pocket and tossed another disk in her direction. It landed on to the floor without a sound. She picked it up and looked at it. "Great. What's on this one?"

"It would appear that you see certain ones more often than that," the Queen quietly responded. "All along I believed that it was our tactful diplomacy that quieted the revolt by the House of Lords. It never occurred to me that my own daughter, who was also credited with achieving the peace settlement, did so by being nothing more than a two-bit whore."

DG threw her arms up and paced the room once more. Once again she shook her head in disbelief. It was so outlandish to her that she was left momentary speechless. Finally she blurted out, "That's just fucking outrageous!" She stopped. "Let me guess. Special Operative Demille had evidence of it. And you'll believe _him_ over your own daughter." She let the words drip with her sarcasm.

Her mother screamed at her. "Your record of you behavior fell in to the hands of the insurgents! Why did you even record it to begin with?! For posterity?! To look back on with fondness?!" She paused to catch her breath. As she did so she looked back out the window. The scene had not changed. It was still snowing and the city was gradually going to sleep. She turned back to her daughter. "You should be thankful that Demille found the disk when he did."

DG was furious. The tears, born of frustration and anger, could no longer be held back. She clenched her fists so hard her nails dug in to her palms. "GOD MOTHER! I can't believe you right now!... I can't believe that you would think and believe that I did that!"

Without warning, the Queen started towards the door. "Come with me." It was not a statement, it was an order.

They left the Queen's chamber and went down the hallway. They turned the corner and the Queen opened the door to her private library. It was then that she realized that Glitch was still with them.

With hatred in her eyes she ordered him, "Stay out!"

Glitch swallowed hard and he gave her the same look that a dog has that has just been kicked. _Your highness, what has come over you?_

DG followed her inside.

The Queen walked to the middle of the room and turned around. It was then that DG saw the other occupants of the room. Dr. Addison, the Provost Marshall Collins, two guards, and another officer that she did not recognize were also in the room.

PM Collins greeted DG with a "Good morning again Princess Dorothy."

"Uhhh…. Good morning Provost Marshall," she hesitantly replied. His demeanor was so much unlike her mother's that it threw her off guard.

The Queen walked back over closer to DG and gently touched her arm. Her demeanor drastically changed once again. "You have not been acting like yourself for over two months now. And I've noticed that your behavior has become increasingly worrisome since your head wound." Then the Queen wrapped her hand, ever so gently, around her arm.

DG shook her arm free from her mother's grasp and took a step backwards. "Mother, what's this about?" She grew increasingly alarmed. _She's turned in to a freaking Jekyll and Hyde._

The unidentified officer asked, "Your highness, how did she take the news of the picture disk?"

The Queen replied without taking her eyes off of DG. "Not well. Her response was the same as what Dr. Addison had predicted."

DG looked at her mother and the confusion was evident on her face. "What do you mean by _how Dr. Addison predicted_?"

Dr. Addison spoke. "The conversation that you just had with your mother was at her bequest. It was her last attempt at, as they say, _trying to talk some sense in to you_."

"Excuse me? She was trying to talk sense in to me?" She looked angrily at her mother. "Is that what you call that?"

"We're all concerned about you. We're concerned about what Major Cain has done to you," he replied.

The two guards moved to cover the door.

"He hasn't done anything to me!"

Dr. Addison looked at her with pity in his eyes. "One of the deans at the Royal Academy told me that he saw you, Major Jeb Cain, and Ambrose in front of my office door. I entered my office and found that I was missing three books." He then pointed to three books that were stacked on the Queen's desk. "Those three books were found in your chamber Princess Dorothy."

DG glared at him and her cheeks were flushed from the anger.

PM Collins asked her gently, "Was it Major Cain who told you to go after some books?"

DG walked a few steps over to him so that she could be closer to him when she spoke. With confidence she answered, "Not directly, but since he was in jail who else was going to go after them? He said that Jill spoke of these symbols and that she needed books from her world… my world, to identify them."

Dr. Addison raised his eyebrow. "Symbols?" He glanced over to the Queen to see her reaction. She sighed and nodded to him.

DG snapped around to face him. "Yes! Symbols! Those symbols might be the key to the insurgency and the longer that Jill and Cain are locked up the more time is being wasted…" She then added quietly, "Who knows? May be we could've prevented Jeb's death if we had identified them sooner."

Dr. Addison gave a slight nod back to the Queen.

* * *

The snow continued to fall heavier and heavier and it made for slow travel through Central City's streets. In the back seat Jill was nestled in between Lundgren and Petey. She was handcuffed. At least Petey had showed some empathy and cuffed her with her arms in front of her. She did her best to make herself as small as possible. She did not want any part of her body touching the two men on either side of her.

They pulled in to a rough looking neighborhood. All of the houses were run-down and obviously had seen better days. Pimps, whores, drug-dealers, and the homeless littered the streets. The old worn-down street lamps gave off a faint glow. They were back in Elysian.

Zero pulled alongside the sidewalk at the far end of the street. He parked the car in back of a small covered truck. The cover was made of waterproof canvas and it was a dull gray in color.

Petey got out first and Lundgren motioned for Jill to follow him. All four went up the front steps and entered through the front door.

The chaos inside the house betrayed the outside serenity. It was a buzz with men preparing themselves in anticipation of _something_. Jill thought to herself that whatever the _something_ was, it was going to be big.

She felt something brush against her leg. She looked down and saw a black cat with vivid green eyes. It hissed at her and then ran down the hallway.

Lundgren pulled one of the men aside and commanded him, "Tell the doctor to look at Jill. There's something wrong with her leg."

Zero turned around and scowled at him. Lundgren snapped at him, "You forget what the Father told us before we left. He wanted Jill unharmed. To him that means _perfect_."

Zero's brow furled in anger but he restrained himself. Harshly he said, "Get upstairs. We need to review the plan again."

Jill was led off to a side bedroom and the man motioned for her to sit on the empty bed. There was no window and the single overhead electric light was bright. There were two beds and it took her a moment to recognize who was lying in the other one. It was Azkadellia. She was sleeping peacefully. _What the hell?_ Jill thought. She was confused. _How did they manage to keep that one a secret? She's a freaking princess! _Then she realized with dismay. _We both must have a one way ticket to this Oradour._

Her thoughts were interrupted by who she guessed was the doctor. He was older given the amount of thinning white hair that he had. His brown eyes showed a compassion that did not fit in with the other members of the group of men outside the bedroom door. "What seems to be the trouble?"

"I fell and twisted my ankle," she curtly replied.

As he proceeded to take off her shoe and examine her foot her thoughts drifted. _That's why Jeb and Costello were killed. We were getting too close. I don't know why they want me, I'm definitely not royal. But they wanted Azkadellia bad enough._

"Ow!" She was snapped back to the present as the doctor rotated her foot around. "It's just a bad sprain," he told her. He slowly got up and his joints audibly creaked as he did so. "I'll go get some ice for you."

He shut the door behind him and she was left alone with only her thoughts and the sleeping Azkadellia.

_A/N: The muse taught me a lesson on this chapter. The past couple came readily; so in my arrogance, thought that I would be able to write more frequently. Instead, the muse stuck out her tongue, went THPPPPT!, and promptly left. She ignored me all weekend and it took an insane amount of dark chocolate to bring her back._


	35. Chapter 35, On a First Name Basis

Chapter 35, On a First Name Basis

Glitch paced outside the Queen's private library. He was still smarting from being so unceremoniously dumped by the Queen. He could not understand why she was being so uncharacteristically cold and uncaring to DG. He knew DG's words to be true. If even he could realize that, then why not the Queen?

TWEET! TWEET! TWEET!

He did not immediately respond to the chirping.

TWEET! TWEET! TWEET! "Time for dancing lessons! Time for dancing lessons!" The golden timekeeper was growing more insistent.

He reached in to his inside pocket and pulled it out. Then he took his other hand and gently closed its blue eyes. He stared at it for a moment before returning it to his pocket. _Ambrose. The Queen called me Ambrose instead of Glitch. Why? Does she miss him? _

He heard movement behind the door and he stopped to listen. After hearing nothing more he started to pace again.

But then a few steps away he saw something shiny lying on the tile. He walked over and bent over to see what it was. It was a picture disk.

To no one in particular he said as he stood back up, holding it up to the light, "Hey! This looks like the ones that Tudor was dropping for the mobats." Then he shuddered. Those horrible little mobats with their shifty eyes had given him nightmares even after the defeat of the witch. Then he turned somber. "The Queen threw one of these at DG. I wonder if she dropped this one?"

Glitch was so absorbed in staring at the picture disk that he never heard the footsteps behind him.

"AAYYEE!" he squealed and he abruptly turned around to see who tapped him on the shoulder. It was Meredith and Kyra on their way back from wherever it was that they were. They had to duck to avoid his flailing arms.

"Sorry 'bout that Glitch," Kyra replied. Her tone and speech turned very informal since she was not around _true_ royalty.

Meredith piped up, "Yeah, sorry about that. We didn't mean to scare you."

He was noticeably relieved and retrieved a small handkerchief in order to wipe his brow. "Oh, it's just you girls," he said with another relieved smile.

"What'cha got there?" Kyra asked. She reached for it and Glitch had to pull his hand back away from her.

"It's just a picture disk. I think that the Queen dropped it."

Meredith playfully reached for it this time.

"Whoa!" he exclaimed and then laughed nervously. "Really, now's not the time for this sort of thing."

Kyra pouted her mouth and said, "Oh Glitch, that sounds so much like the old Ambrose."

"What?" He looked at her in confusion.

Meredith leaned closer to him and whispered in his ear, "Aren't you curious to see what's on it?" He smelled jasmine and it involuntarily made him shiver ever so slightly.

Glitch took his hand and as gently as he could, tried to push her away. "No…. No I don't think that's a good idea."

He turned to look the other way and there was Kyra leaning up against him. She whispered in his ear, "Maybe the Queen didn't drop it. Maybe the Provost Marshall did." He smelled strawberries emanating from her.

He took a quick step forward and turned sideways as he did so that he could escape from them. He laughed uncomfortably again. Then he stopped. As he cocked his head, he once again stared at her in confusion. "What do you mean the Provost Marshall? Is he here?"

Meredith and Kyra rushed to his side.

Kyra gently placed her hands on his arm and looked back over her shoulder. Then she whispered to him, "Maybe there's something on there that you could use to help the Princess Dorothy."

Glitch was now befuddled. "How do you know what was just said to DG?"

Meredith gently grasped his chin and made him look at her. He relented at her touch. She whispered, "We know that her highness said some terrible, terrible things to her. Maybe you can use this disk to help find the evidence that will help the Princess Dorothy."

He stopped and held out the picture disk in his outstretched hand. He stared at it. Then he quickly closed his hand around it. "No," he whispered. "It doesn't belong to me. It needs to go back to the Queen and to the Provost Marshall. And I need to wait here for DG." He paused, "Hey! How did you know that the Provost Marshall was here?" _Did I already ask that question?_

Kyra gently grasped his chin and made him look at her again. She whispered, "Maybe you can use it to help free your friend, the Major Wyatt Cain."

Meredith took a sideways glance down the hallway and finding no one added, "You'll be useful." She gently touched, and then rubbed his shoulder.

Those three words triggered a new emotion in Glitch. _You'll be useful_. Those were the magic words. The words _You'll be useful… you can free your friends… you'll be useful… _repeated over and over in his mind.

"I'll be useful?" he asked hesitantly. He opened up his hand again and looked at the picture disk. It briefly reflected a glint from the warm electric lamps lining the hallway. He forgot all about his question about the Provost Marshall. He forgot about his desire to wait for DG. "I'll be useful," he said more confidently. He continued to talk himself in to it. He could now actually _do _something rather than _wait _on something. "They won't ever suspect me will they? I'm just good old _Glitch_ to them."

Kyra whispered to him, "You can do it Glitch. We believe in you."

Glitch looked at her and then at Meredith. She said, "We can help you… of course, if you want us to. We want _to see justice served_."

He took one parting glance at the door. Then he said to the girls, "There's an old viewer in my office. I think that I might even remember how to use it." He had a new air of confidence about him and it showed.

The girls smiled fondly at each other and all three together walked quickly down the hallway.

* * *

At one of the upper levels of the palace, located in an old spire, was Ambrose's office. On a clear day one could see the entire city and the valleys beyond it. Beautiful view or not, Glitch thought that his former self was insane for choosing such a remote location. A wide winding staircase that was dimly lit by old, shadeless lights was the only way up to the top. All three were out of breath once they reached the door.

Glitch reached in to one of his many inside pockets and pulled out a long brass key. It fit neatly in to the lock and with a satisfying click, the door opened. Glitch held it open for Meredith and Kyra and they walked inside.

The curtains had been left open. But without the sunlight the room was very cold and damp. It was not a good day for sightseeing across the city. The snow fell so heavily that one could barely see for just a few blocks.

It had been some time since Glitch was in his old office and a fine layer of dust covered everything. He walked over to a table that contained a square shaped box covered with a white cloth. He grabbed an edge of the cloth. Then he turned to the girls, exclaimed "TA DA!" and with a theatric flair removed the cloth.

It was a box marked BOOKS.

Glitch was stunned and turned beet red. Meredith and Kyra giggled loudly. "I thought for sure that was it," he mumbled. Then Meredith walked over to the window where there was another table. "Maybe it's over here Glitch." As he followed her, Kyra locked the door. _Just in case_. Then she quietly walked the few steps to where Meredith and Glitch were standing.

"Maybe it's under here," Meredith said as she removed the cover.

Glitch gasped and stumbled backwards, bumping in to Kyra. She stumbled and nearly lost her balance. But she regained her footing quickly and plunged a large hypodermic needle into Glitch.

"OW!! That hurt!" yelled Glitch. He stumbled around and finally got himself braced against his desk. He held his left arm with his right hand and asked loudly, "What was that?!"

Then he saw Kyra holding the hypodermic needle. A look of disbelief crossed his face. "Why did you do that?"

He went to take a step forward and his leg gave way beneath him. He stumbled to his knees and he knocked over the contents of his old desk as he tried to steady himself.

Kyra walked over to him and stood over top of him. She was not afraid of his self-defense abilities now that he had been drugged and its effect was beginning to take hold.

She looked over her shoulder and watched Meredith bring over what she had uncovered. She gently set the cage down on to a nearby table. It was filled with sleeping corobuses.

Glitch fell over on to his face. Kyra knelt down and struggled at first to roll him over but then managed to do it. He looked at her and all he was able to do was blink at her.

She ran her hand lightly down his cheek. "I'm sorry Glitch, but someone has to be the fall guy."

He blinked quickly and as hard as he could but she ignored him. She stood back up and went over to the door. Meredith gently and quietly unlatched the cage door and then walked over to join Kyra. She unlocked the door and they left.

* * *

The Queen's private library was empty except for her and Dr. Addison, and he was down on one knee in front of her.

His head hung low and he said in a quiet voice, "Your majesty, I am sorry that I gave the Princess Dorothy the sedative. However, I do not believe that I had any other choice."

The Queen looked down at him. She hesitated and then placed her hand briefly on his shoulder. "Rise Dr. Addison."

He did as he was told.

She sighed. "You spoke the truth Dr. Addison. After DG suffered her head injury you expressed concern that she may begin to exhibit signs of various types of delusionary behavior, including the persecutory as you described. She was growing increasingly agitated. Dr. Addison, you should not be the one that is apologizing. It is I who initially refuted your diagnosis."

He looked visibly relieved. "Thank you, your majesty."

The Queen changed the subject from one of apologies to the more immediate question of her daughter's future. "What course of action do you now recommend?"

"She is now resting in her chamber. I advise that she be kept there with limited approved visitation until she can be further evaluated." He paused, and then added hesitantly, "With your permission, there is a colleague of mine from the south, near Oradour that I would like to call upon for additional assistance. He has authored a few papers on the subject and is highly regarded."

"Of course Dr. Addison. Please invite your colleague to come to the palace." She started to walk out of her library and motioned for him to follow. As the door shut softly behind them she said, "Thank you again for your aid Dr. Addison. Your service to this royal house is duly noted and appreciated."

Dr. Addison bowed at her compliment. "Thank you your majesty for your kind words." He rose back up. "My nurse is currently watching the Princess Dorothy. She is quite competent and will be able to tend to her until I return. I am going to make the request and subsequent travel arrangements for my colleague."

"Very well, Dr. Addison." The Queen started to walk away. She was headed back to her private chamber in order to freshen up before leaving again to visit her husband and her other daughter.

"Your majesty?" Dr. Addison called out after her.

She stopped and turned around. "Yes, Dr. Addison?"

"In informal company, you may call me by first name if you so desire."

She paused at his words and said nothing for a moment. Then she gave him a slight smile and nod of her head. "Of course, _Xavier_."


	36. Chapter 36, An Answer For Everything

Chapter 36, I Have an Answer For Everything

Back home, seeing the morning sun glisten on newly fallen snow would have calmed her. But now, it did nothing to lighten her mood. It only meant that they were another day closer to the place called Oradour.

Jill quickly and carefully closed the small gap in the cover. Both she and Azkadellia were riding in the back of the same truck that she had seen in the old run-down section of Central City. Two guards also rode with them. Neither guard paid them too much attention though. So it was easy for her to sneak in an occasional look at the countryside.

She did her best to avoid Azkadellia. She felt guilty about it but the truth of the matter was that when she did rouse up she was half crazed. She would mumble things about a "Him" and a "She". "He" was holding his hands out to her. "She" was still inside her. When Azkadellia said "She", Jill wondered whether she was referring to the witch. Both Cain and Glitch had told her the story and while it sounded like a nightmarish fairy tale, knew better than to doubt it. When they were still in the safe house in Central City, Azkadellia lunged at her. She begged her to get "Her" out of her head. It was the tall one; the one the men called Lundgren, who grabbed Azkadellia and pulled her off of her. When she woke up and was fed, she was immediately put down again. It was either the nurse or the doctor who would give her the shot with a vicious looking needle. She had seen it done a few times by now but that did not make it any easier to handle.

She looked back over at the guards. They must have been told not to talk to her. Every time she asked them a question they refused to answer it and looked the other way.

With a lurch, the truck started off again and Jill settled in. She pulled her knees up and rested her forehead on them. As painful as it was she allowed her thoughts to drift to her old family and friends back home, and her new found friends in the present.

* * *

The Queen was in her public chamber where she conducted most of her business of overseeing the O.Z. It was a large round room with large windows that reached from the floor to the ceiling. Stained glass with the colors of the O.Z. flag had been inserted up at the top of each window. Unlike most of the other rooms in the palace this room was white. It was not the stark white that one would find in a hospital but a little off-white; just enough to take the harshness out of it. Long teal curtains matched the length of the windows and assorted bookcases and various size tables and chairs were set around the room. Attending meetings with select members of the House of Lords, and conferring with various ministers had kept her busy during the morning. The beginning of the new work week was always busy.

A young courier, not watching where he was going, came flying out from around a corner. He accidentally bumped in Dr. Addison. He dropped his armload of folders and files and they scattered across the tile floor. Dr. Addison did not stop to help him pick up the papers. Instead he growled at the young lad and said, "Watch where you're going!"

The young lad was petrified as he gazed in to Dr. Addison's eyes. He finally managed to mumble, "I'm so sorry sir. I won't let it happen again sir."

Dr. Addison was ready to let loose another searing comment but held his tongue. Rather he let loose another low growl of disgust and continued on his way to the Queen's public chamber.

Upon reaching the public chamber all anger at the young courier's indiscretion disappeared. He approached the Queen's desk and waited until she was done signing some papers. He had not been near a window all day and was pleasantly surprised to see that the sun was out. When she was done she motioned for her aides to disperse. "Good afternoon Xavier," she warmly said to him.

"Good afternoon your majesty," Dr. Addison warmly responded back. "Have you had lunch yet?"

"No… I have not. Would you care to join me?" she asked as she rose from her desk.

Dr. Addison smiled, "But of course. You are always pleasant company."

One of her aides came to her for one last minute signature. After she was done, they walked out of her public chamber side by side. A guard followed a few steps behind them.

After they continued down the hallway, Dr. Addison waited until they were somewhat alone. However, glancing back at the guard behind him, he knew that he would have to speak in hushed tones. "Unfortunately I do bring some unsettling and disturbing news."

The Queen glanced at him looking concerned. "Of what Xavier?"

Dr. Addison let out a loud sigh. "My dear Queen…. Ambrose… I mean _Glitch_, was found in his old office earlier this morning."

She looked at him slightly bemused. "Why would that be unsettling?"

Dr. Addison let out another sigh. "He has Corobus Fever."

The Queen stopped in her tracks. "What do you mean he has Corobus Fever? I ordered the palace to be thoroughly searched after Ahamo contracted it."

He audibly sighed once more. "It is with a heavy heart that I give you this news. He was found on the floor, stricken with fever. A cage was found on a nearby table and there were corobuses running amok in his office. It is a wonder that those that found him were not bit themselves."

The Queen backed away from him and bumped in to the wall. The look of shock was clearly evident. "Glitch? Our Glitch was found with corobuses?" The guard that had been following them raised his eyebrow.

Dr. Addison moved to be beside her along the wall. A few servants walked by them and both of them nodded their acknowledgments.

The Queen regained her composure and asked, in a demanding tone that carried through her muted voice, "Why was I not told earlier?"

Dr. Addison motioned with his hand that they should continue down the hallway and the Queen conceded. "I am sorry my majesty. Upon his discovery the Provost Marshall's office was called. Both the PM and I elected to delaying in contacting you until we had additional information."

She straightened her shoulders and stared straight ahead. "Xavier, the next time that such a situation arises, you will not delay in informing me. Is that understood?"

He answered her quietly, "Yes my majesty."

They continued down the hallway. Still mindful of the guard behind them, she asked, "You said that a cage was found in his office?"

He answered with a whisper. "There was. It was filled with feed and water. It appeared that they had been caged for some amount of time."

The Queen let out an almost imperceptible sigh. Asking about the cage was only delaying the inevitable conclusion.

"Why would he do such a terrible thing?" she asked softly. "He is a most kind hearted soul. Both Ahamo and I even gave him our consent to marry our DG."

It was Dr. Addison's turn to look up in shock. He did not know that little piece of information. However, the Queen did not catch his look and it was gone as soon as it appeared. His mind scrambled for an answer.

He put his arms behind his back and held his hands together, as though in deep thought. He glanced back at the guard and glared at him. The guard stopped and checked up on his distance between him and them. After sensing that the Queen was not going to make another comment, he said, "I agree that _Glitch_ has a peaceful personality. Perhaps his recent behavior is an after-effect of the surgery. Even though the operation was often done during the witch's reign, its long-term effects have not been well documented."

The Queen shook her head in disbelief. She whispered, "Are you stating that even after fifteen annuals he may just be now experiencing changes in his personality and behavior?"

"Unfortunately, yes, my majesty." Dr. Addison continued to look as though he was in deep thought and disturbed by the notion. "Persons who have suffered head trauma show varying degrees of changes in their personality ranging from none at all to the most severe. While the medical community is well aware of what _may_ happen, they are unable to predict the _who_ and the _when_." He paused and then added, "He often says that his synapses do not fire right, am I correct?"

The Queen only nodded her answer. Then she asked, "Where is he now?"

Dr. Addison sighed. "He's in the barracks' infirmary… under guard of course. His fever is one of the worse cases that I have seen in recent memory. We don't know how long he had been in his office. If he had been in there for over a day or two; without proper treatment, it would lead to the severe symptoms that he is suffering."

They had reached the private dining hall.

The Queen was visibly troubled and shaken by the recent news of Glitch. "Go on ahead Xavier. I am going to go to the barracks' infirmary to visit him. Then I intend to tell DG of what has happened."

Dr. Addison looked at her and gave her a very concerned and worried look. "With all due respect, would you please consider just a very quick meal? I truly understand how troubling the news is. However, in these troubling times we must make sure that we not only take care of the ones that we love, but also ourselves…. Besides, _Glitch_ is stable at the moment. I instructed to have a courier sent to me immediately if there was any change in his condition."

She nodded her head and gave him a slight smile. "Well spoken Xavier."

He smiled back at her and held open the door.

* * *

The Queen was in the private dining room. She was eating alone and the only sounds were the fire, and the occasional faint tinkling of her silverware.

She did not feel like eating; however, she forced herself to at least eat a few morsels. Dr. Addison's words about not only taking care of loved ones, but oneself as well, rang in her ears.

"Thank you," she told the kitchen servant as he cleared her dinner plate.

"Your highness, are you sure that you are finished?" he quietly asked.

"Yes… I am… please just bring me a cup of coffee with cream and sugar. I won't be having dessert tonight."

"Of course," he again replied quietly and then went through the door leading in to the kitchen area.

Shortly thereafter the same servant brought out her steaming cup of coffee. "Anything else?" he whispered. Even he realized that something was terribly and most unusually wrong. He could not remember a time when the Queen dined alone.

"No… that is all," she quietly answered.

She absent-mindedly grabbed her cup with both hands; letting its warmth flow through them. As she had to finally let go, she realized with dismay that it was a habit she had often seen DG do. She had even chided her about it once or twice; stating that it was not proper of a princess.

She took a small sip, trying to be careful so that she would not burn her tongue.

Glitch was in dreadful shape. In the short amount of time that she was there he had convulsed twice. And to Dr. Addison's point, he considered that to be relatively stable. She shuddered to think how he was during the first few hours after they had found him.

But that was not the worst of it. PM Collins told her that they had found a picture disk on him. They viewed it together and received yet another shock. It showed her husband rendezvousing many times at many different places with a woman. She was a beautiful woman with long golden hair and bright blue eyes. She was also very, very young. She might have been as young as DG.

She cried.

It was against every protocol she had been taught. But it mattered not, they still flowed.

Why did Glitch have the disk? Was he trying to bribe her husband? Did it fall through and that is why Glitch let loose the corobuses?

She told herself that it was all irrational. But the evidence was as plain as day.

She took another careful sip of her coffee.

When she entered his room, she sat down beside him. His face was pale and he had dark circles under his eyes. He was in no condition to be asked. But yet she did. She described the woman to him and he knew her. Then she told him about the picture disk. He denied everything. _Of course he would_.

Her conversation with DG had gone no better.

She expected DG to demand that she be allowed to see him. Her fury at being told no was greater than what had occurred in her private library a few days earlier. A nurse had to be summoned once more to sedate her.

Her coffee had cooled some and she took an entire swallow.

And then there was Azkadellia. She had not yet woken up and no one knew why; including Dr. Addison.

The Queen put down her unfinished coffee and wearily rose from the table. She thought to herself, _and that is my family_.


	37. Chapter 37, Interlude

Chapter 37, Interlude

The passage of the days brought little comfort to Central City and its residents.

The newspaper headlines still screamed about the lack of progress in determining those responsible not only for the terror attacks but also for the murders of the two families. Whether deserving of it or not, most of the blame was pointed towards the royal house. Even the sluggish and pompous members of the House of Lords started to stir in response to it.

Around the ornately carved stone pillars of their house, hushed conversations were held.

"Do you believe that a special committee should be formed to investigate these atrocities?"

"A special committee doesn't have to be formed. The senior members should demand immediate action from the Queen."

"If the Queen is unwilling to force the military into further action then her authority to oversee them should be conceded to the House."

"The royal house of Gale will never do that."

"It had always been said that there would never be a House of Lords either."

* * *

Cain was still in jail and he was alone. He had been a source of amusement for the inmates. He had often been taunted since they found it quite ironic that one of the great former tin men was now one of them. However, as news spread that one of the victims was his son, they left him alone. It would never change that they still reviled him. But they had just enough humanity left in them to realize that the ridicule and insults that they dished out to him paled in comparison to the pain he was now suffering.

It was mid-evening and it was nearly time for "lights-out".

"Major Cain?" a young voice asked through the narrow window in the door.

Cain was lying on his back, his arm behind his head, staring up at the ceiling. The first rays from the full moon lit up his cell. He recognized the voice. The boy's last name was McConnelly.

"What is it?" he gruffly asked.

McConnelly paused. Then he whispered in to the window. "I found out about that woman."

"And?"

"She was released sir."

_Even after I told him to stop it, he keeps calling me sir. _He kept his questions short. "When?"

"Last weekend."

He knew the answer to his next question but he asked it anyway.

"Who was she released to?"

McConnelly paused.

Cain repeated his question, this time as an order. "I said who was she released to?"

"Petey Staggart."

Cain did not say anything else. Only his new pet spider that lived in the corner of the ceiling saw his eyes turn to ice.

"Is there anything else sir?" McConnelly whispered. The footsteps from his fellow guard were growing closer.

"No….."

He sensed that McConnelly was ready to walk away. "McConnelly?"

He stopped. "Yes sir?"

"Thanks."

McConnelly nodded in acknowledgment even though Cain could not see it. It was done out of habit.

* * *

Lord Ahamo was still pale but at least he was on his feet and he was strong enough to return to the palace. His arrival however, was lukewarm.

He stood out on the balcony surveying the city. He gripped the railing in order to keep himself steady. He and his wife had had yet another argument. _Argument is not the word for it. The first battle of a long war is much more appropriate_.

His dear Lavender screamed so loudly at him that it came out as a screech. "HOW DARE YOU KEEP THIS IN OUR CHAMBER?!"

In her hand she clutched a piece of lingerie. She marched up to him and shoved it in to his face. He took it and held it out from him. It was a blood red and black corset.

She screeched again. "That's the same piece of clothing that woman… THAT WOMAN IS WEARING ON THE DISK!"

He finally could not take it any longer. He had tried to explain, had tried to be logical, had tried to reason with her. Each and every time she answered that the evidence was on the disk and that corobuses had been found in Glitch's office. He finally snapped.

He bellowed, "I HAVE NEVER FUCKED THAT WOMAN!"

She stopped and astonishment crossed her face.

He pointed his finger at her. "And you are a pitiful soul if you believe that disk, and that Provost Marshall, and that Dr. Addison over your husband!"

The astonishment was replaced by fury.

"PITIFUL SOUL?!... You have gone too far this time Ahamo!"

For fifteen annuals he had longed for her. Then miracles of miracles DG returned, the witch was defeated, and their family was brought together once more. And now this.

He gripped the railing harder. Once Glitch had recovered enough, he was going to demand answers.

Then he stopped himself and let his grip relax. What if Dr. Addison was right? How do you reason with a headcase who has finally gone berserk? How do you know when a headcase is telling the truth and when he's lying?

He continued to stare out at the cityscape for a long time.

* * *

The truck lurched to a stop once more. One of the guards looked at Jill and said very simply, "We're home." She stared at him. Home?

One guard moved to the back of the truck and pushed Azkadellia out to the guards who had been waiting outside the truck. After she was out, the two guards jumped out and motioned for Jill to follow.

The sunlight was bright and she had to squint until her eyes adjusted to the daylight. From what she could see they had stopped in a compound. She was surrounded by buildings of various sizes and in the distance she caught a glimpse of chain link fencing.

A voice from behind her said, "The Father has instructed us to take her to her private chamber."

She turned around to see who it was but it was just another guard. As they motioned for her to follow she looked around to see if she could see the ones that they called Lundgren and Zero, but they were nowhere to be found.

Her armed escort led her through the hallways. She saw not a single soul as she was being led through the building. The light coming from the hallway lamps was soft and warm.

They soon stopped in front of a light colored, arched door. The one guard opened it while the other guard undid her shackles.

"Inside you'll find fresh clothes and a bath is ready for you," the guard who had opened the door said.

Jill looked at him and curtly asked, "Then what?"

He simply replied, "You'll join the Father for dinner later this evening. A guard will come for you when it's time." With his gun he then motioned for her to go inside.

After she was inside she heard the clicking of the locks. She went back over to the door and tried it. It was firmly sealed. Not that she expected any different result but she decided to try it anyway.

"Well Jill," she said aloud to herself as she looked at the sparse contents of her room, "You might as well get cleaned up. Then you get to meet this _Father_ that everyone keeps talking about."


	38. Chapter 38, Splinters

Chapter 38, Splinters

_**As always, thank you for following along on this long journey!**_

Jill was lying on her side on her bed half-asleep when she heard the clicking of the locks. As she rose up the same two guards who had escorted to her room walked in.

The one asked, "Are you ready Ms.Wilkins?"

She looked around and having seeing nothing different for the hundredth time, answered "I guess so." She walked over to them and put her arms in front of her ever so slightly. She was expecting to be handcuffed again.

The other guard said to her, "The Father told us not to do that. That it wasn't necessary in his house."

"Oh," she replied in surprise.

One guard led the way and the other walked behind her. A black cat was sitting nearby and as they walked by, it hissed at her. Jill saw that it had the same green eyes as the cat that she saw from the safe house and she wondered if it was the same one. But soon thereafter she forgot about it as they walked down more warmly lit hallways. As they continued to walk, she lost her sense of direction and space and had no idea of how big the Father's "house" really was. They soon stopped in a large wooden archway. There were no doors and the long, heavy, royal blue curtains had been tied back with gold cord.

Large windows outlined with stained glass were set along the near wall. The twin suns had set but the moon had not yet fully risen. If there were designs in the windows, Jill was unable to make them out. A large marble fireplace was set along the far wall. The other wall was covered with a taxidermist's dream collection of animals both recognizable and unrecognizable. A large formal dining table was set in the middle of the room. It was covered with a crisp white tablecloth but only the table settings decorated it.

Three figures stood at the far end of the dining table. Jill recognized the one called Lundgren on one side and the one called Zero on the other. She guessed that the one in middle, and at the head of the table, was the Father. It was he who motioned the three of them forward.

The guards led her to the head of the table and then they left. It was not until they had draped the curtains over the archway that the Father spoke.

"Ms. Wilkins, welcome."

Jill said nothing and only stared at him. He gazed at her for a moment and then asked, "Are your clothes suitable?"

She looked down at what she was wearing. She had been given a few options to choose from in her room. She finally settled on a pair of jeans, a white turtleneck and a plain black knit sweater. She looked back up and curtly answered him, "They'll do."

He gazed at her a moment more. Then he started to say, "I am…"

She cut him off, "the Father. I figured that much out already. Why did you bring me here?"

He smiled. "Direct and to the point… As I expected you to be." He motioned with his hand towards the seat to his left. "Please, Ms. Wilkins, sit down. After the evening meal, I will begin to answer your questions."

Zero moved down one chair and Jill reluctantly sat down.

As the waiters brought them their first course and filled their wine glasses, Jill noticed three symbols in wrought iron above the fire place. The Father caught her looking at them and said, "In due time, Ms. Wilkins."

No one spoke until the waiters had gone. Jill noticed that while Lundgren, Zero, and she had been given full plates of salad, the Father's dish was different. It was still salad, but each piece had been cut up in to squares and neatly lined in to rows.

"Ms. Wilkins, as I was ready to state before, in formal circles, my proper name is Father Diekmann. However, as you are well aware of, I generally just go by the Father."

Without waiting for any type of response from her, he looked over to Lundgren and said, "I see that Ms. Wilkins is limping ever so slightly. What happened?"

Lundgren had just eaten a bite of salad and it was evident that he had slowed down his chewing. He stared at Zero and slowly put down his knife and fork. Jill raised her eyebrow. She remembered that while they were in the safe house, it was Lundgren who had reminded Zero that the Father wanted her _perfect_. She decided that if Lundgren tried to cover it up, she was going to interject. She did not owe either one anything.

He cautiously answered, "Ms. Wilkins attempted to escape. She slipped on some ice before she was recaptured. She was immediately treated by the doctor upon our arrival in the safe house."

The Father carefully picked up his fork and gently stabbed a piece of lettuce. He chewed it carefully before swallowing and then put down his fork.

Without a word he raised his hand and before any of them knew it, Zero and Lundgren were thrown backwards in to their respective walls. BOOM! The chairs splintered and large pieces of wood went flying like shrapnel. Both Zero and Lundgren hit the wall and then collapsed to the ground. Jill jumped out of her chair and as she did so screamed out in surprise and shock.

The Father quite calmly told her, "They'll live." Then he stated in a louder voice, "My explicit instruction to you both was that she was to be brought here in perfect condition. Limping is not a perfect condition."

Both Zero and Lundgren struggled to their feet.

The Father continued as he picked up his fork once more, "The next time that I need to remind you of an explicit instruction it may involve more than a broken chair."

Jill was still standing in shock. _Holy shit! _She looked back over at the Father. _All he did was raise his freaking hand! How?!_

The Father looked over at her, "Please sit back down Ms. Wilkins and finish eating your salad. Like children, from time to time, their behavior must be corrected." He gently stabbed at some unidentifiable vegetable and carefully put it in to his mouth.

Jill did as she was told but she did not eat. She instead watched Zero and Lundgren walk wobbly back to the dining table. Each fumbled to get a new chair in to position and then sat back down. Zero ran his hand through his hair to remove any splinters and to smooth it back in place. Lundgren rubbed his neck. Each was still slightly stunned though and neither touched their salad.

"Eat Ms. Wilkins. They will be fine soon enough," the Father said before he ate his next bite.

She glanced up, and to her surprise saw Lundgren nod his head in agreement.

She quickly looked back down at her plate and ate the rest of her salad in silence.


	39. Chapter 39, Can't Pick Your Relatives

Chapter 39, You Can't Pick Your Relatives

Jill spent the rest of the meal in silence while the Father, Lundgren, and Zero discussed business. To her horror and then dismay, she realized that it was the business of war. They discussed in great detail the deployment locations of their troops, weapons and supplies. When she first understood that it was the business of war she thought that it was foolhardy of them to discuss such things in front of her. She was a prisoner after all. But then she realized that if they had no problem chatting in front of her, did that mean they were confident that she could not escape? Or did it mean a far worse fate was in front of her? She shuddered at her drifting thoughts and did her best to instead concentrate on their conversation.

The waiters had long ago removed their dinner plates and the fire burned low in the fireplace by the time that they were finished with their discussion. The Father motioned for Zero and Lundgren to leave.

He glared sternly at them as he gave his final order, "We will meet again in the laboratory in two hours. Do not be late."

Lundgren simply nodded his head in acknowledgment. Zero tersely replied, "Of course." His eyes burned in to the Father's. _I brought back your fucking "daughter" and this is how you repay me?_ _Not even the Sorceress had ever treated me in such a manner. _The Father glared at him once more but said nothing. He sensed Zero's anger. His ego had been bruised and he was still smarting from his behavioral correction. The Father's eyes flashed and it was Zero who had to look away first. Coldly, the Father said to him, "Do not forget General Zero that it was I that freed you and gave you life. That makes me both your father and your mother." He smirked as he looked over to Jill, and said to her without expecting an answer "Is it not true that in the other world there is an expression that goes honor thy father and mother?"

Zero glanced back up and glared at him. He looked as though he was ready to spout off something, anything. But he held his tongue and instead turned to leave. Their footsteps, Zero's louder than Lundgren's, echoed off of the floor as they left. The Father and Jill watched them leave and were soon left alone. He turned and extended his hand to her, "Please come with me to my study. It is more comfortable there and I can begin to answer your questions."

Jill slowly rose from the table but did not take his hand. She did not trust him any farther than she could throw him and he knew it. She tossed her napkin on to the table.

He smiled gently. "As I expected, follow me."

He started towards the door and then after hearing no footsteps, turned to find her still standing near the table. "When you are in my direct company, guards are not needed. Would that not be obvious from this evening's earlier demonstration?"

Jill gazed at him one more time and then walked towards him. "Obviously," she answered him sarcastically.

They left the dining room and headed towards his study.

The Father held the door open for her as they entered his study. The fire in the fireplace had already been stoked and it crackled merrily. Two high back chairs were placed in front of it. Again, the familiar motif of animal heads lined the walls. By now she had grown used to it and paid them no attention. She had no idea why these people felt so compelled to mount heads on walls but given the situation that she was in, she no longer cared.

The Father motioned for her to sit down and she did. He walked over to a small bar near his desk and asked, "Would you care for a drink?"

She curtly replied, "No thanks." Both of her arms laid flat on the arms of the chair but she gripped the ends ever so slightly. _And the bad guy says, "Would you care for a drink?" which really means, "Would you care for a drink before I kill you Mr. Bond?"_

"Of course not. It does sound a bit _cheesy_ as they say, does it not?" was all that he answered with. He finished pouring his own drink and then carefully put the bottle back in its row alongside its brethren. He walked over to the other high back chair and sat down.

He said nothing for a moment and only gazed at her. The amulet tucked inside his clothes burned. _Patience, it will happen soon enough_. Jill continued to grip the ends of the chair. It made her uncomfortable with him gazing at her like that. _Perv_, she thought.

"There is so much to tell you that I am unsure of where to begin," he finally said as he swirled the contents of his glass.

Unlike the Father, Jill did not hesitate. She told him with a slightly raised voice, "You can start by telling me why I'm here."

He stared in to the fire. He took a sip of the brown liquid and then asked, "Did you know your Uncle Bill?"

Her expression of defiance turned to one of pure confusion. "Wha..?" Then she recomposed herself as her initial shock and confusion turned to suspicion. "How do you know about Uncle Bill?"

The Father rose from his chair and took a few steps to the fireplace mantle. He reached for a small wooden box, turned, and handed it to her.

She hesitantly took it with both hands and held it at a slight angle to see it better. On the lid were the engraved letters of WW.

As the Father sat back down he said, "That is one of the few remaining belongings of William Wilkins. Your Uncle Bill as you called him."

She turned it over and from side to side a few times. Other than being stained a light brown color there was nothing else unusual about it. With a mixture of suspicion and accusation she asked "How did it get here?" _They probably stole it from one of those travel storms._

He looked at her with a bit of amusement. "Why... when he arrived in the O.Z. it was one of the few items that survived both the tornado and the drop from the sky."

"What?" Jill asked as she cocked her head in disbelief. "You mean to tell me that the reason why Uncle Bill went missing is that he ended up here?" She put the box down on her lap.

"Yes. Why does that surprise you so? Think for a moment and you will see how the pieces fit together." He paused then added, "And no, he was not brought here intentionally. He was brought here by a naturally occurring tornado, in much the same manner that the Lord Ahamo, the Queen's husband, arrived here."

"Yeah right."

"Is not the American mid-west so famous that it has its own tornado alley?"

She shook her head and quietly snorted in disbelief. Could it have happened? Maybe, maybe not? She still was not convinced.

"Open up the box," the Father ordered.

With ever so slightly shaking hands she lifted off the box lid and put it on the arm of the chair. She reached in to the box and pulled out the first paper. She carefully unfolded and it began to read it. Her eyes grew large and her mouth opened a little as she recognized the writer. It was her dad. He was writing to tell Uncle Bill of their mother's death. She gently put it aside and pulled out the next few papers. They were all letters to him, some from other relatives, but most from her dad. At the bottom of the box were two faded black and white photos. That first was of her dad, her Uncle Bill, and some other relatives. The second made her gasp. It was of her Uncle Bill but there was also a young woman surrounded by people in royal garb. She held the picture up closer to her face. The young woman was the Queen in her much younger days. She narrowed her eyes thinking that if she did that, some other detail might pop out to squelch her conclusion. She stared at it some more. There was no doubt about it, it was definitely the Queen.

The Father broke the silence by saying quietly, "Your Uncle Bill was a very intelligent man."

Jill's eyes shifted from the photographs to him.

He continued, "He had so much knowledge that some said it was mystical in nature." He finished off the contents of his glass.

"What do you mean by that? By mystical in nature?" she asked as she carefully put the letters back in to the box. She kept the photograph of her dad and his brother in her hand though and gazed at it once more.

"Your Uncle Bill did not go by William Wilkins in the O.Z. He was soon known as the Mystic Man. Some referred to him as a wizard, others thought of him as a great sage. But in the end, no matter what you thought of him, everyone knew him as the Mystic Man."

Jill carefully put the lid on the box and wiggled around in her chair so that she could put the photograph in her jean pocket. She looked up at the Father and demanded, "Where is he now? I want to see him."

The Father played with his glass for a moment. "You cannot see him."

"Why?" she loudly demanded.

The response was very matter-of-fact. "Because he is dead."

Jill sat back in her chair and then stared in to the fire. Without looking at him she asked, "How?"

He answered quietly, "The Queen killed him."

She glared over at him and said defiantly, "Liar."

By now the Father had put his glass down on the floor and brought his hands together in front of him. "The Queen that you speak of is not the true queen that I served. I served what most of the populace referred to as the Sorceress."

She gripped the arm of the chair tightly and demanded, "Why did she kill him?"

He quietly replied, "Because he would not use his knowledge for her. It was unfortunate. With more time…"

She leaned forward again in her chair and interrupted him, "With more time what?" Then her voice grew louder. "You might have convinced him to help you guys? But it didn't work out that way did it? So you brought me here in his place."

And with that she had had enough. She held her Uncle's box of letters in her hand and stood up. She pointed her finger at him. "You and your little band of men are the traitors to the Queen." Then she turned and walked away from him. She knew that it was fruitless. He was not going to let her go walking out the door, but she had to get up. Being so near to him sickened her. It was one shock to learn that her Uncle Bill had ended up here in the O.Z. But then to be considered a wizard? And then to be killed for not helping the enemy? It was too much.

The Father turned his head to look at her. "I did not agree with all of her actions, but she was the true ruler of the O.Z."

Jill looked at one of the animal heads on the wall. It was a bear and she thought that it was sneering at her. "True ruler of the O.Z.? I find that hard to believe," she answered sarcastically.

He ignored the slight sarcasm in her voice and went on, "When a new royal house takes over the O.Z. it is not always by peaceful means. The historic actions of the House of Gale are not lily white."

She turned to look at him and snorted in disgust. "So what now? Are you going to get on your soapbox to try to justify that witch's true claim to the throne?" She paused and then continued to challenge him, "Why don't you try to justify her existence and why she did so much killing while you're at it?"

The Father said nothing and his expression was nearly passé.

Seeing him sitting there infuriated her. She had been brought in to a world against her will, only because of a relative that she never knew. Because of that these people thought that she was going to be their salvation for their own twisted desires. Because of her did they kill Jeb? Who else did they kill in order to get to her? In that one moment she no longer cared whether she lived or died. She crossed her arms and told him, "You wanna' know something?... Fuck you. I don't care about historic actions. I don't care how much you admired that witch. Uncle Bill died because it was better than helping her. And guess what? You must as well go and kill me right now too. I'm not helping you now, or ever."

The Father stood up and walked past her. In a gentle voice all he said was, "Follow me."

_Author's Note: Thanks to all who continue to follow this little story! :D_


	40. Chapter 40, Vanishing Act!

Chapter 40, Vanishing Act!

"It was a dark and stormy night… What kind of shit is this?!" Edwards screamed after he took the cigar out of his mouth. He angrily rose from his chair and it rolled back and hit the wall behind him.

He marched around his desk and threw the print copy in to the face of the still burbling Johnny. As Edwards continued to march out of his office Johnny followed after him. In a meek voice he said, "But it's for a book review. That's how the book starts out." He pushed his glasses up further on his face.

Edwards turned and pointed his finger at him. "It's still a piece of shit." Then he turned to Cillia, his chief assistant, and told her, "Take the shitty review and put it on page twelve." Then he put his cigar back in to his mouth and continued to march through the rows of desks towards the main door to the editing department.

"But that's where the full page ad for the opening of the new general goods store, Kopper's is going," she replied as she looked down at her notepad and tried to keep up with him; all at the same time. The she muttered "Ow" to herself as she banged her thigh in to the corner of a desk.

Edwards turned to look back at her. He took the cigar out of his mouth and with exasperation told her, "Then keep the ad for Kopper's and put that piece of crap further back. I don't care where you stick it as long as it's not in that front section." Then he continued his tirade towards the other staffers about their other articles.

Cillia rolled her eyes and wrote it down in her notebook. Johnny had caught up with her and started to whine. "Why do my reviews always go in the back section? It's not fair…" She looked up at him and while cocking her head, told him, "Not now, Johnny." She looked back down at her notebook. Up at the top she had written in big letters, "KEEP FRONT PAGE OPEN FOR HUGE STORY".

Johnny was still muttering about how much his life sucked as she looked down at her watch. It was getting late. If they did not get the print copy of the huge story in ten minutes the morning paper was going to be late.

As though he was reading her thoughts, she heard Edwards bellow, "IT'S ABOUT GOD DAMN TIME!" She looked up and saw Cameron come flying through the aisle between the rows of desks.

She stopped and Edwards practically grabbed the print copy from her hand. Cillia half ran to where they were at and on tippy-toes looked over Edwards shoulder. Her eyes grew large as she quickly read Cameron's article. _By the gods, I can't believe it. The O.Z. won't stand for it._

Cameron smirked as she observed Cillia's face. "At the rate I'm going, I'll be a shoe in for journalist of the year. First it was _my_ coverage of the terror attacks. Now this." She pointed at her article.

Edwards took the cigar out of his mouth and told Cameron, "Good job kiddo." Then he roughly handed the print copy to Cillia. "Front page."

After Cillia took the print copy he looked at the ceiling as deep in thought. He raised his hands up as though he was calling upon the heavens to grant him divine power.

Then with his hands still slightly raised, he looked at Cillia and said, "Make the headline, Vanishing Act! " Pleased with himself he took a puff of his cigar and continued on his way out of the department.

Cillia rolled her eyes once more as she watched Cameron nearly stumble in her heels trying to catch up with Edwards.

She looked down at Cameron's article to read it one more time before sending it to print. Even the second time around she had a hard time believing it. The article began with a description about the appropriations act for the farmers. It was to help them recover for field damage stemming from the witch's abuse of the land. However tied to the appropriations act was a rider that outlawed nearly every form of magic except for the healing arts. As she read the article the reason was flimsy at best. New technological advances were occurring every day. The use of magic could affect the new technology in an unforeseen manner. Therefore its use was to be restricted so that the development of new technology could continue.

Cillia started to walk down the aisle leading out of the editing department. She realized that the House of Lords was in a winless situation. To vote against the appropriations act would not only result in a public outcry but it could lead to actual food shortages. The farmlands had been slow to recover. It was better for the House of Lords to accept the appropriations act with the rider and risk short term anger about not being able to use magic than to have hordes of the hungry on their doorstep.

She slowly opened the door and started down the hallway. She glanced one more time at the article and then started to walk briskly down the hallway.


	41. Chapter 41, The End

**Chapter 41, A Matter of Atonement**

Once again Jill was led through a dizzying maze of hallways until they reached a stout set of dark wooden doors. The air was noticeably cooler and she thought that she felt a slight draft. The Father raised his right hand and barely touched the doors. They slowly creaked open.

The doors led to the outside. As they walked through the compound the Father nodded to an occasional guard but no words were exchanged. Jill looked around as they walked and saw the familiar chain link fencing and other small cottages. She guessed that they were nowhere near where she had been dropped off earlier in the day.

They walked in silence and they eventually came to a guardhouse and gate. The guard put down his book and opened the window. He glanced at the Father and then spied Jill. He let his eyes wander down from her face to her feet and then back again. Seeing her clothing made him raise an eyebrow. But he kept his comments in check and only asked, "Out for an evening stroll in to town Father?"

The Father warmly replied, "Yes. I thought that I would show our guest our fine town and maybe even visit the tavern."

The guard nodded in understanding. Then he looked over to Jill and said, "They have good ale there."

Jill politely replied, "I'll be sure to try some." Then she glanced at the Father and added with sarcasm, "I'm sure that the Father's buying."

The Father's eyes narrowed ever so slightly but he said nothing.

The guard was totally oblivious to the subtle exchange and he walked out of the guard box to open the gate for them. The Father waved goodbye and then they continued to walk in to town.

"Are you cold?" the Father asked somewhat concerned.

"No," Jill replied. _I should be freezing my ass off. S_he thought that it was odd that she did not feel any cold. She was wearing only a sweater and a turtleneck by the way.

As they approached the town, the gas lights gave off a warm glow. Most shops were closed for the evening and only the noise came from the tavern. Even then it was only audible when a patron either entered or left the establishment. The Father stopped in the middle of the square.

He deeply breathed in the night air and then sighed out of contentment. His question was simple. "Do you know where you are at?"

She looked around, "No. Should I?"

The Father outstretched his arm and motioned in a semi-circle. "Welcome to Oradour-Sur-Glane, though most just refer to it as Oradour."

Jill slowly turned around. It was then that she began to see in greater detail the buildings and the town. A few residents walking down the sidewalk waved to them and the Father waved back. An old stone church was nearby. Even in the dead of winter its incredibly neat landscaping was apparent. Each stone in the cobblestone street had been placed in perfect alignment with its brethren. There was no garbage, no homeless, and no evidence of crime. It looked like any other story book town. It was perfect.

She rubbed her forehead out of frustration. Something was wrong. Then it dawned on her. That was it, it was too perfect. She looked around the town again. Not only was it perfect but the name. What was with the name?

"You said Oradour-Sur-Glane like it was French," she said. She was still confused. Why? Why? Why? Why did that bother her so?

The Father cocked his head and for a moment his eyes glistened and reflected the glow from the gas lamps. "That's because it is French."

Her look of confusion was evident. She crossed her arms and slowly turned around yet again in a circle. The scenery had not changed. She shook her head, "Why that name from my world?"

"Because your world is my old world."

His response made Jill's head snap to attention. "What do you mean by that?"

"I was once part of your world. Oradour, as you see now, is a reproduction from our world. The Sorceress that you speak of with such disdain allowed me to rebuild it." He looked up at the night sky. Jill looked up as well but if there were any constellations, she did not recognize them. It was all just a jumble of stars to her. "I rebuilt it for atonement of my sins. Even your Uncle Bill initially helped me."

She turned her gaze away from the stars and looked at him. She shook her head again at him in disbelief. "Now this is just messed-up… And you're lying about Uncle Bill helping you."

Still gazing at the stars he answered, "He took pity on me." Then he raised his hands and the town began to shimmer.

The ground felt unsteady beneath her feet and she struggled to maintain her balance. "What the hell?" she muttered as she nearly tumbled over.

The shimmering became a blur but in the chaos the Father and she remained still. "What's going on?" she demanded. The blurring and swirling of colors was too much and it caused her to become dizzy. She gave in and fell to one knee. A high pitch whistling began and it became so loud that it hurt. She finally had to close her eyes and put her hands over her ears to try to deaden the sensory explosion.

Then as soon as it began it stopped.

Jill slowly uncovered her ears and opened her eyes. It was hot and the single sun shone brightly. It was mid-noon and the townsfolk were busily going to and fro.

She jumped up as she realized as a man pedaling a bicycle was about to run in to her. "Wait!" she yelled and she put out her arms to stop him. She stumbled and fell as she desperately tried to get out of his way. To her shock he rode right through her.

The Father grinned at her in amusement as she struggled to her feet. "It's like a scene from Charles Dickens is it not?" Jill still had a dazed look on her face as she attempted to regain her bearings. He continued, "Certainly you remember that story? Where Ebenezer Scrooge is nothing more than a ghost and is assisted by more ghosts?"

"Yeah, sure…" she replied as she turned in a slow circle to take everything in. Under her breath she muttered, "You're no jolly ghost of Christmas present though."

He ignored her comment and motioned for her to follow him, "Even though they cannot see us, why don't we make our way to the sidewalk where you'll feel more comfortable?"

They left the busy street and walked down the bustling sidewalk. Again to the Father's amusement, she did her best to walk around the townsfolk. It just seemed wrong to let them pass silently through her. She heard snippets of conversation and even though she did not understand it, she recognized the language as French.

As they continued down the sidewalk she soon became self-absorbed in the sights, the sounds, and the smells. "Oh my god!" she thought to herself, "That smells so good!" as she paused in front of the local bakery.

"Enjoying yourself?" the Father finally asked.

Jill turned her head to look at him. His quiet voice, that damn quiet voice interrupted her pleasant thoughts. It brought her violently back to the here and now. She turned to look back through the window. Her attitude changed and she raised her voice barely above a whisper. "So where are we?"

He motioned for her to start walking again. "Oradour-Sur-Glane."

She glimpsed at him before jumping out of the way of a man in a suit who was in a hurry. "Can't be. We were just back there in the O.Z."

The Father continued to stare straight ahead as they made their way through the crowded sidewalk. "Look at the people's clothing. This is Oradour-Sur-Glane, June 1944."

She stopped. "That puts us in the middle of World War Two… What the hell does that…," she waved her arm around, "have to do with me, you, and any of this?

He replied, "You are seeing what I showed your Uncle Bill so many years ago."

Then he raised his hands and the town shimmered slightly. The scene changed before them and the next thing Jill knew it was morning.

German soldiers ran through the sidewalks, busting down the storefronts and lugging their contents out in to the street for all to be had. All were yelling words that she did not understand but instinctively knew what they implied.

More German tanks, trucks, and soldiers marched by. In the distance a large group of soldiers pushed a wailing crowd of women and children towards a large stone church.

Jill ran down the street, weaving in between the soldiers and their vehicles. She did not care if the Father followed her or not. Breathing heavily she eventually reached the church. She put her hands on her sides as she bent over to rest. The townsfolk might not be able to see her and they could pass through her, but strangely, that did not mean that she did not feel any less human. As she looked at the ground trying to recover, she could hear the women and children screaming above the din of the trucks and tanks.

The soldiers had formed a perimeter around the church. Jill rose back up and walked closer to where a few gathered near the front doors of the church.

One soldier had something in his hands. He made motions as though he was activating it.

"NOOOOOOO!!" she screamed. She lunged towards the soldier and threw herself at him. She fell with a silent thud to the ground. She had forgotten that she was invisible.

BOOM! WHOOSH! BOOM!

She had realized too late what the soldier had done. As she slowly sat up, the screams from the women and children intensified. Flames licked the stained glass windows.

The front doors burst open and some of the women and children who were burning torches of flesh stumbled out on to the walkway. They screamed in agony. Jill did not understand the words, but she did not have to. The soldiers then opened fire. More burning women and children burst forth from the church. Their fate was the same. The smell of death drifted through the air.

More shots rang out from the back entrance of the church.

Jill screamed once more "NOOOOOO!!" as she pounded the ground with her fist. The tears streamed down her face. So much so she could no longer see.

The scene shimmered again and she suddenly found herself near some barns and sheds. Machine gun nests in front of the entrances to the barns and sheds had already been set up and once again to her horror she realized what was about to happen. She slowly rose to her feet and clenched her fists.

The men of the town had been assembled in the barns and the soldiers started to shoot at them without mercy. They were intentionally shot in their legs. The men dropped to the floor, unable to run away. Those who were not buried under tried to crawl away. More soldiers appeared and began to cover the living pile with kindling. The men began to scream for mercy as they understood what was about to happen.

The soldiers left the buildings and they were set on fire.

As Jill felt the heat from the infernos, she could do nothing more than to stand there and cry.

The scene shimmered again and she found herself standing in the town square. It was deserted. The stone church was smoldering. The storefronts were decimated. She sensed someone behind her and it was the Father.

With her face wet with tears, she asked, "Why did you show me that?"

He replied matter-of-factly, "I am the destroyer of Oradour-Sur-Glane. I ordered its destruction in the belief that it contained French Resistance fighters. I did not learn of my error until long after I escaped."

Then it happened. The anger bubbled and then burst forth from her. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU MADE AN ERROR?!" She screamed so loudly that it hurt. "YOU'RE NOTHING BUT A MONSTER!"

She lunged at him in order to try to tackle him to the ground. As before, she passed seamlessly through him and fell to the ground.

He looked down at her with pity. "I would have thought that you would have learned by now that both you and I are nothing but mere ghosts."

The tears began to fall again and once again she screeched, "Rebuilding Oradour doesn't mean that you're fucking forgiven! You're evil down to your bloody soul!"

"How do you know what it takes to be forgiven?" he replied. "Evil and good are relative state of beings. When you call a man either evil or good, are you not just comparing him to the man standing next to him?"

Jill stood up and grabbed at her little stubs of hair. In frustration she called out, "This!... The new Oradour! The old Oradour! It doesn't prove a thing!" She thrashed her arms about, "You claim that you're looking for atonement but back in the O.Z. you're still plotting war. People will be killed and their deaths will be at your hand!"

She backed a few steps away from him and continued, "Compared to that witch, you're just as evil as she was."

The Father watched Jill storm off away from him. She was headed towards the church.

* * *

Jill reached the church and walked in through what was left of the entranceway. The ceiling was gone and all that remained were some smoldering pews. Charred bones, ash, and stones littered the floor. She felt it crunch under her feet but no sound was made.

The Father stood outside the entranceway. He refused to go in.

"Your Uncle Bill took pity on me." His voice was soft but it echoed through the church.

Jill angrily turned around to face him. "STOP SAYING THAT!!" Out of frustration she picked up a skull and hurled at him. He stood still as it silently passed through him.

"Your Uncle Bill saw a broken man. He said that in that broken man standing before him there was a glimmer of light."

She turned away from him.

"After he helped me rebuild Oradour, he angered the true Queen. Without my intervention she would have killed him. Instead she showed mercy and she left him go. But she set him out in to the world dependent on drugs to get him through each day. It rotted his mind, and his spirit. My friend was alive but at what price? Even today I do not know if it was better for him to live like that or to have received death on that day. It was only after who you refer to as the Princess Dorothy came back in to the world that she killed him. I was too far away and could not save him the second time."

Jill bent over and picked up another blackened skull. It was small, so very small.

"The true Queen will live again. But she will be a different queen. I can show her what happened, what caused her eventual death. Yes, there will be another war so that she can reclaim her throne. But once she is restored she will be a different queen. She can have mercy. She too has that glimmer of light. I have seen it before."

Jill took one last look at the small skull and then let it drop to the ground. She turned around to the face the Father. She knew that her fate would be sealed. "I don't see any glimmers of light." She walked towards him. "All I see is a man who has done terrible, horrible deeds in his life. I don't know how you got here. I don't know who or what gave you your powers. But none of that matters now." She stood toe to toe with him and looked in to his eyes. "You don't deserve mercy. The only way you can pay for the crimes you did to my world and to this world is by your death."

The Father looked at her and his eyes narrowed. "I had hoped that you would show the same compassion as did your Uncle Bill on that day so long ago. But I see that that trait is not hereditary. " Then his eyes softened. "I had hoped that we could be as close as your Uncle Bill and I. So much so that I would even consider you to be the daughter that I never had."

He took a few steps back away from Jill and raised his hands once more. The church blurred in to oblivion.

They soon were in the new Oradour-Sur-Glane and the moon was high in the night.

Before Jill realized what was happening the Father motioned with his hands once more and she found her hands bathed in an eerie green light. She tried to wiggle free but found that she could not. His only words to her were, "Come with me."

**Chapter 42, Out Of the Frying Pan and Into the Fire**

As the Father and Jill neared the security gate they had passed through earlier in the evening, they were immediately flanked by a number of guards. Jill had no idea of how they appeared so suddenly but she did not care. She had more pressing things on her mind.

They reached the Father's living quarters and he led her and the guards down a steep set of steps. Jill guessed that it was a lower level and her thoughts drifted back to all of the horror movies she had seen in her life. _Don't go down the steps! _Her mind screamed. _Or else the boogey-man is going to get you!_ She smirked to herself out of sick amusement. The boogey-man already had her.

They reached another set of dark wooden doors that were watched by a few more guards. One of them opened the door and the Father motioned for her to go inside.

It was a very large room filled with miles of tubing and wire and humming machinery. The overhead electric lights did not have shades so the exposed bulbs gave off a harsh glare. The walls were of natural stone that were damp to the touch.

Two tables, similar to the examining tables found in any doctor's office, were in the middle of the room. In between the beds was a device unlike anything Jill had ever seen before. It was a large glass tank filled with water. A myriad of tubes ran out of the tank to small machines with lots of dials and buttons on either side of it. More tubes and wires then went from the machines to the beds. A lone wooden chair had been placed in front of the tank.

The Father nodded towards two of the guards already stationed in the room, "Take her to the table." The green light that had bound her hands disappeared.

Jill stood still as she rubbed her wrists, trying to see if any lasting damage had been done. She smirked and replied defiantly, "And if I don't go?" The sureness of her voice surprised her.

No one was amused. One of the guards answered, "Then we'll drag you over there."

As she walked towards the table, flanked by the guards, she asked the Father, "Are you going to torture me?"

He watched her hop on to the table and look at him. "No."

A man wearing a long black apron walked over to her and stood at the head of the table. She had not seen him when they first entered the room. "Please lie back," he told her.

"No," she answered quietly. _If it's not torture then what is it?_ She decided that whatever it was, it no longer mattered; she was going to be defiant to the end.

The two guards flanked the table, slung their guns behind their backs and shoved her down. She struggled as the one guard tied her one hand down. Two more guards appeared and she kicked at them. With a satisfying crack one of her kicks landed true on the guard's nose. He stumbled away, holding his hands up to his face. The blood dripped through his fingers. But her satisfaction was short-lived. Another guard took his place and it was not long until she was subdued and tied down.

The man with the black apron attached a head piece to her. It was heavy and it took a great amount of effort for her to turn her head. She saw that it was connected to one of the strange machines. Two more men with long black aprons appeared from behind the water tank and stood near the other table.

Footsteps mixed with growls and snarls echoed down from the far end of the hallway. The sounds grew louder as they grew near the laboratory.

The Father glanced over his shoulder and saw Zero and Lundgren enter the room. They were followed by a third man in uniform. More guards and a creature that Jill had never seen before lingered near the doorway.

"You're late," the Father said to Zero and Lundgren.

Zero could not help himself but sneer in response, "We're just being fashionable… Besides, you haven't started yet."

The Father snorted his discontent but said nothing more. He instead turned his attention to the third man in uniform. He walked the few steps separating them and put his hands on his shoulders. "Lieutenant Idearc, I have known you for years and have been one of the brightest students that the Oradourian Academy has ever seen. You are about to participate in what future generations will regard as both a historic and technological achievement."

The lieutenant beamed at the Father's adulation. "Thank you Father."

The man with the long black apron guided him towards the table. He did not have to be forced down and actually appeared as though he was enjoying the experience and the attention.

As soon as the creature saw the water tank and the stool he began to howl with rage. The guards had difficulty controlling the creature as they dragged him towards the chair. The creature continued to howl and thrash about. One of his random kicks landed on the chair and it went flying towards the door. It hit the wall with a loud BANG and then tumbled to the floor. The creature roared out, "CALM NOT OBEY!" But after what seemed like an eternity, he was eventually strapped down and shackled to the floor.

Jill turned her head away in horror as the men in black began to attach the tubes and wires to his head. Unlike her and the Lieutenant Idearc, the tubes and wires were screwed directly in to his skull. Calm howled in pain.

The Father walked over to Jill and stooped down so that he was at eye level with her. Her eyes were moist but she retained her composure. She hissed at him, "Where's that glimmer of light now? If you had it you wouldn't be torturing it so."

He whispered to her, his voice clearly audible even above Calm's muffled screams. "That creature is called a viewer." He paused to look at Calm and then went on. His voice was full of contempt. "They are ignorant, witless creatures whose only redeeming value is that they can see thoughts. If it was not for that, they would have been cleansed from the earth long ago."

He stood back up and looked down at her. "My alchemists made a great improvement on my true Queen's machine. Her machine, using a viewer, could only see the person's thoughts. But now soon, your thoughts… your knowledge… will actually be given to Lieutenant Idearc. He will be able to do great things with them."

Jill furled her brows and said nothing for a moment. Then she understood the implications. She struggled against her bonds once more. The Father's expression of pity fueled her fire even more.

"You had your opportunity to give your knowledge willingly; to help us, to help me. But you refused. You are a good person Jill. But sometimes good people must fall for the benefit of others." Then the Father turned and walked away back to where Zero and Lundgren stood.

"Dr. Alloquay. Are you ready?" the Father asked loudly.

A figure near the wall nodded in silent agreement. Then, like a scene from Frankenstein, he threw the switch.

**Chapter 43, One Down, Two To Go**

The only light in the bedroom came from a lone candle on the night stand. DPM Vargo sat silently near a sleeping Glitch. He was weak, so very weak, but the worst was now past.

Vargo's thoughts strayed as he continued his part of the nighttime vigil. Glitch was safe for now. He had debated with the others about the head case's importance. Priorities had to be set on who could be saved and who could not. He had demanded that Glitch be amongst the saved and so much had been risked for his life. He then thought of the Tin Man and of the Princess. One looking in from the outside would have said that it had been extremely difficult to free Glitch. Seeing the Tin Man's and Princess' situation, they would certainly rate it at impossible.

But they had to try. The future of the O.Z. depended on it.

_Author's Note: Well, what can I say? This has been quite the experience for me. I never intended for this story to go on for this long. It just kind-of happened. My story turned in to an epic, and then some. Looking back, I probably should have reined it back in, but it is what it is. I consider it a lesson-learned for next time 'round. A heart-felt thanks to all goes out to those who placed me on their story alerts, to those who left me a review, and to those that are content to just read along. _

_The next installment/story will be titled "Let Loose the Dogs Of War" and I hope to have the first chapter posted in a month or so. Oh, and don't worry, there will be some overdue ass-kicking. :) Again, thank you for letting me play in the sandbox for a little while._


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